Sen. Christopher Go (Photo from his office)
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go reaffirmed on Friday his commitment to helping improve the access of all Filipinos to quality health services.
Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, repeated his promise at the online launching of the country’s 92nd Malasakit Center at the Benguet General Hospita in La Trinidad, Benguet, according to a statement issued on Monday.
It is the third Malasakit Center in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the second in the province, the other being at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City.
In his speech, Go reaffirmed the commitment of President Rodrigo Duterte and this administration to advance the right of every Filipino to quality health services through universal health coverage.
He also reiterated the administration’s fight against corruption, particularly the need to cleanse the ranks of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to improve its services.
“President Duterte and I will not stop in fighting corruption in PhilHealth. That’s the people’s money [in there]. All Filipinos worked up a sweat make those payments and they rely on PhilHealth,” Go said in Filipino.
“Overseas Filipino workers worked hard so they could make remittances. They’re working almost to death in other countries just so they could send their remittances to PhilHealth. So the people‘s money should go back to them,” he added.
To improve further the access to quality and affordable healthcare in the country, Go authored and sponsored the passage of the bill that became the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, or Republic Act No. 11463.
The measure, signed by the President on Dec. 3, 2019, brings under one office the government agencies from which Filipinos may seek medical assistance — namely the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, PhilHealth, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
“It’s your money. Why should it be hard for you to get it back? The money of the government is the money of Filipinos. So I said, maybe we can put everything in just one room,” he said.
That was the idea behind the one-stop-shop that aims to keep as small as possible the balance of the hospital bills of those who seek its assistance. It covers patient services and expenses, such as laboratories, medicines, and surgeries.
“This Malasakit Center is for all Filipinos. It does not discriminate against anyone. It has no politics. This is for everyone, especially the poor and indigent patients. The Malasakit Center is ready to help them with their medical at financial needs,” Go said.
According to the law, all hospitals run by the Department of Health are mandated to establish their own Malasakit Centers. Additionally, hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own Malasakit Centers provided that they meet the standard set of criteria to ensure the center’s operations.
In his online speech at the opening of the country’s 92nd Malasakit Center made an appeal to Dr. Meliarazon Dulay, chief of the Benguet General Hospital, and other hospital officials: “Prioritize patients who are poor and have nobody else to turn to.“
Go went on to recognize government officials and national agencies for continuing to serve their constituents in the midst of a global pandemic.
Among those present during the event were Benguet Legislative Caretaker and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Eric Go Yap, Benguet Gov. Melchor D. Diclas, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda, Kapangan Mayor Manny E. Fermin, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Assistabt Secretary Ana Marie Rafael-Banaag of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, ;and other officials and representatives from DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and PhilHealth.
After the launching, representatives from the DSWD met with 31 of the hospital’s indigent patients and distributed additional financial assistance.
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