In 1990, Fr. William H. Kreutz, SJ, president of the Ateneo de Zamboanga, called together members of the medical profession and civic-minded community leaders for a series of consultations to determine if there was a need to establish a medical school for the region. In these consultations health data of the region were looked at, leading to the following conclusions:
- Western Mindanao has the highest infant mortality rate in the Philippines.
- Of the nearly 100 municipalities and 3,000 barangays in the region, more than 80% lack medical attention.
- Zamboanga City has enough doctors with training in specialty areas who can be tapped to teach in the medical school.
These series of consultations led to the consensus that there was indeed a need to establish amedical school for the region and that this school should be in Zamboanga City. Subsequent to this, a corporate body was established to affiliate with the Ateneo de Zamboanga. Thus, the Zamboanga Medical School Foundation, Inc. (ZMSF) was finally incorporated as a non-stock, non profit corporation. It’s 15-man Board of Trustees is composed of seven doctors, five civic leaders, and three educators. During the first few years of its operations, the ZMF will be using the facilities of the Ateneo while a building for the medical school is planned once a sufficient financial base is established.
