Bong Go opens 3rd Malasakit Center in Visayas

ILOILO CITY — As promised, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go inaugurated the third Malasakit Center in Visayas here Wednesday evening.

The center will serve as a “one-stop-shop intended to integrate the different assistance programs of various government agencies.”

Housed at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district, the center according to Secretary Go, aims to assist indigent patients by fast-tracking the delivery of services relevant to health care primarily, but not limited to financial assistance.

It will also assist indigent patients with the balance of their bill after their Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) support has been deducted.

Patients will get help on how to avail of the assistance, Go explained.

Meanwhile, Jane Javellana, Presidential Consultant for Western Visayas, said the center’s services will be available for outpatients and confined patients of the WVMC, although patients from other hospitals could also avail of assistance provided by other government agencies.

“Government agencies still offer the same services for those who are not OPD (outpatient department) and confined patients of WVMC,” she said.

WVMC hospital chief Dr. Joseph Nicolo said the center will start on Thursday its trial run on how to operate to see how they will manage the facility and to determine how many clients could be accommodated.

Initially, the center will open from 8 a.m. until noontime and resume at 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. However, if needed, they will also determine if they have to make it operational 24/7.

The center is located at the left side of the WVMC entrance.

Go said they are still looking at other hospitals that could host the center.

To date, the program is available at the Philippine General Hospital, Davao, Cebu, and Tacloban, with Iloilo as the latest addition. The center will also be available in Bacolod City.

The initiative, from February up to May this year, has assisted 16,506 patients through its centers in Cebu and Tacloban. The assistance extended has already amounted to PHP63.16 million.

Go, who turned over a PHP15-million check as a start-up fund for the newly-established Malasakit Center, was joined by Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Diño during the inauguration. PNA