Special Lane Assures Faster Emergency Medical Care for UP Manila/PGH Employees, Students

February 06, 2026

Text by: Jennifer Manongdo
Photos by: Ehcel Hurna

Dr. Jonathan Cu (right, in striped shirt), PGH hospital coordinator for Emergency and Ambulatory Services, shows the special lane for UP Manila and PGH constituents. In this photo, senior medical resident Raphael Faustino Almendral provides medical guidance to an employee.

‎The Philippine General Hospital (UP PGH) has opened a dedicated lane for PGH and UP Manila employees and students at the Emergency Department (ED) to ensure faster access to medical care.

“This initiative aims to facilitate timely access in emergency medical care for eligible personnel and students while preserving the integrity of the ED triage system and ensuring equitable, safe, and efficient patient care for all,” memorandum 2026-21 released by the office of the director, Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said.

The special lane is exclusively available to active and retired PGH and UP Manila employees, and currently enrolled UP Manila students. Eligible individuals are required to present a valid institutional ID upon registration.

The lane is intended strictly for emergency consultations.

For non-emergency concerns and administrative requests, such as medical clearances and certificates, will be referred to the UP Health Service during its operating hours.

Queuing System

Patients eligible for the courtesy lane will be required to present a valid PGH or UP Manila ID to the security personnel assigned to the ED, who will then issue a green ticket number to the patient. After this, the patient shall proceed to the fast track unit, where emergency medicine specialists and senior residents will conduct triage, assessment, and management.When subspecialty consultations are required, referrals will be facilitated promptly, with response times of up to 15 minutes for Emergency Severity Index (ESI) levels 1 and 2, and up to 60 minutes for ESI levels 3 to 5 unless the subspecialty team is actively engaged in a resuscitation or other life-threatening cases.

‎”‎So, the idea here is that we have to take care of our home, our employees, and the UP Manila students,” ‎PGH Hospital Coordinator for Emergency and Ambulatory Services, Dr. Jonathan Cu said.

He added, “if there’s a need for labs, they’ll facilitate it right away. Our goal here is, you’ll be seen early, you’ll be treated, and you’ll be able to go home right away unless they’re doing resuscitation…for a productive UP Manila.”

He said the courtesy lane will not disrupt the normal operations at the ED.

“Whether employee or not, ang inuuna naman talaga namin dito ay iyong nag-aagaw buhay,” ‎Dr. Cu emphasized.‎

According to the memo, the special lane “reflects our institutional value of caring for those who serve and study within PGH and UP Manila, while upholding patient safety, fairness and clinical prioritizations based on medical urgency.”