The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 1076 — otherwise known as the Malasakit Center Act of 2019.

The era of a socially-responsible government has arrived with the imminent setting up of Malasakit Centers throughout the country and the likely full implementation of the Universal Health Care Law next year.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday welcomed the Senate’s approval of Senate Bill 1076 that seeks to institutionalize Malasakit Centers in all Department of Health (DoH) hospitals.

Andanar said once passed into law, the Malasakit Center Act will make it easier for millions of Filipinos who seek assistance from the DoH, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as it can all be done in a “one-stop shop.”

“We commend Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and the whole Senate for the quick and unanimous approval of the bill,” Andanar said.

“This is just part of the administration’s commitment to provide accessible assistance and health care to all Filipinos in need,” he added.

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading Senate Bill 1076 — otherwise known as the Malasakit Center Act of 2019 — which seeks to institutionalize the establishment of Malasakit Centers in all 73 hospitals run by the DoH.

The measure, authored and sponsored by Go, aims to consolidate the financial assistance provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), DoH, DSWD and PCSO under one roof, so that patients or their representatives can save time and resources in obtaining assistance from government.

“The Malasakit Center is one of the solutions the Duterte government has developed to provide quick and quality access to health care to all Filipinos, regardless of their age, sex, ethnic background, religion and political affiliation,” Go said in a statement.

“We laud this august chamber for making this a priority, and one of the first legislations to be approved on third reading in the 18th Congress,” added the senator, as he thanked his colleagues for the support they gave in passing the measure.

He also thanked the DoH, DSWD, PCSO, PhilHealth, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other government agencies for “their cooperation and commitment to ensure the successful implementation” of Malasakit Centers.

The President’s former top aide said there are currently 50 Malasakit Centers nationwide, serving more than 160,000 patients. Under Senate Bill 1076, hospitals run by local government units (LGU) and other public hospitals may also establish their own Malasakit Centers provided that they meet a standard set of criteria and guarantee the availability of funds for the operation of their centers, including its maintenance, personnel and staff training.

Go said patients who would be admitted to LGU and other public hospitals but are eligible for medical and financial assistance could also seek assistance from the Malasakit Centers. He noted that one of its functions is to provide patient navigation and referral to the health care provider networks.

He said the centers would also provide patients’ information with regards to membership, coverage and benefit packages in the National Health Insurance Program.

The center will also document, process and utilize data from patient experience through a standardized form in order to shape institutional changes in the hospital and provide capacity-building and performance evaluation that may ensure good client interaction.

“With the Malasakit Center Act in place to complement the Universal Health Care Law, we are a step closer towards making quality health care more accessible and affordable for all Filipinos, especially the indigent and poor patients in need of medical assistance from the government,” Go added.