PH HIMS sector to tap into U.S. market
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) plans to boost the local healthcare information management services (HIMS) by expanding to the United States (U.S.) market.
According to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso Panga, HIMAP is looking to tap into the outsourcing requirements of the leading American HIMS companies for voice and non-voice IT services.
HIMS represents 10% to 13% of the country’s Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry. The Philippines is also known as the world’s largest exporter of nurses.
With its young, English-proficient healthcare providers and attractive fiscal incentives for investors, HIMAP is confident that local HIMS investments and exports could grow between 13% and 15% by year-end.
Panga also revealed that the Philippine government plans to establish incubation hubs for startups in the country to boost the manufacturing and IT-BPM industries.
To date, PEZA is home to 298 IT parks nationwide and 1,581 IT locator companies generating cumulative investments of PHP443.1 billion (US$7.97 billion), export revenues amounting to US$19.9 billion, and direct jobs for 1,071,418 Filipinos.
Of these figures, the agency hosts 30 HIMS locators with PHP1.2 billion (US$21.6 million) approved investment, US$100.8 billion in actual export sales, and 6,715 direct employment.
