Globe Business provided the network infrastructure for the Philippines’ first successful inter-regional telesurgery, connecting surgical teams in Pampanga and Cotabato City through a dedicated data connection spanning more than 1,400 kilometers.
The concurrent, bi-directional remote procedures took place between Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) in San Fernando, Pampanga, and Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) in Cotabato City. Surgeons at each hospital remotely operated on patients at the other facility, demonstrating how robotic surgery and enterprise connectivity can support medical collaboration across regions.
How the inter-regional telesurgery was conducted
The initiative was led by medical technology distributor RBGM Medical Express Sales Inc. in collaboration with surgical robotics developer SS Innovations, JBLMGH, and CRMC.
The procedures used the SSi Mantra 3.0 Surgical Robotic System, which features modular, multi-arm patient-side carts. The system translates surgeons’ hand movements into precise movements executed by robotic instruments at the operating tables.
Globe Business established a private, direct data connection between the two hospitals to support the remote operations. The connection operated separately from regular public internet traffic, allowing the surgical teams to communicate without competing with everyday network congestion.
According to Globe Business, the connection achieved a response time as low as 0.76 milliseconds. It also supported 3D 4K video and operating-room audio, while backup network routes helped maintain connectivity throughout the procedures.
Collaboration between hospitals and technology providers
RBGM played a central role in the clinical initiative, working with the hospitals and technology providers. Its responsibilities also include local training, technical support, and helping expand decentralized surgical units across regional healthcare facilities.
Globe Business Vice President Glenn Estrella said the demonstration shows how network reliability can help extend specialized medical services beyond major urban centers.
He added that dedicated connectivity and backup routing can allow regional medical facilities to work with specialists in other parts of the country while retaining patients closer to home.
Telesurgery and regional healthcare access
The milestone supports the Department of Health’s National Objectives for Health, which prioritizes digital health systems to improve efficiency and regional access across public hospitals.
The press release noted that 63 of 70 DOH-retained hospitals currently use digital telemedicine for consultations. The Pampanga-Cotabato procedure demonstrates the potential to extend digital healthcare beyond consultations to more complex procedures involving surgical robotics.
As hospitals explore technologies such as robotic surgery and telemedicine, dedicated connectivity and low network latency remain important considerations for remote clinical operations.
Globe Business provides enterprise connectivity and other digital services for organizations seeking to develop their infrastructure. More information is available through the Globe Business website.
