Bong Go leads groundbreaking ceremony of Super Health Center in San Mateo, Rizal

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, personally attended the Super Health Center groundbreaking ceremony in San Mateo, Rizal on Thursday, 21 September.

The event was also attended by local officials, including Governor Nina Ricci Ynares, San Mateo Mayor Bartolome "Omie" Rivera Jr., Vice Mayor Jaime Romel Roxas, and Municipal Health Officer Dr. Nyl Jarem Amorsolo, among others.

"On behalf po ng aming bayan, kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa ating butihing Senador Bong Go sa paga-alay po ng suporta at pondo upang mapatayo ang expansion ng Super Health Center. Ang proyekto pong ito ay makakatulong nang mas mapaigi pa at mas komprehensibo pa ang ating serbisyong medikal," Dr. Amorsolo said.

During his address at the groundbreaking ceremony, Go emphasized the critical role that Super Health Centers play in decongesting hospitals, facilitating early disease detection, and providing essential healthcare services such as primary care and medical consultations directly to the community.

"Ano po itong Super Health Center? It's a medium type of a polyclinic. Pwede po diyan 'yung panganganak, dental, laboratory, x-ray, pagpapabakuna. Alam n'yo naisipan ko po 'yang Super Health Center noong 2021. Sa kakaikot ko po ng buong Pilipinas, 'yung mga may sakit anlayo ng byahe, yung mga buntis nanganganak na lang sa tricycle o sa jeepney dahil malalayo ang hospital. Ngayon po mayroon na kayong sarili ninyong health center. Pwede na po diyan 'yung panganganak, pagkonsulta, at iba pa," shared Go.

"Malaking tulong po ito na ma-decongest 'yung mga hospitals. Makakatulong rin sa early disease detection para maagapan ang sakit. Hindi na kailangang ilakbay pa natin ng napakalayong hospital. Malaking tulong po itong Super Health Center," he added.

Super Health Centers shall provide convenient access to basic healthcare delivery, offering a wide range of medical services to communities. These Super Health Centers provide services such as database management, outpatient care, birthing facilities, isolation units, diagnostic services (including laboratory, X-ray, and ultrasound), pharmacies, and ambulatory surgical units. Additional services include eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) care, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, as well as telemedicine for remote diagnosis and treatment.

"Sa ating pakikipagtulungan sa DOH, LGUs at mga kapwa nating mambabatas, magkakaroon po ng 307 Super Health Center sa year 2022 at 322 na Super Health Center sa year 2023 sa buong Pilipinas kasama na po diyan dito po sa San Mateo… Marami pa po 'yan sa buong Pilipinas, nakakalat po 'yan sa mga strategic areas as identified by DOH," highlighted Go.

Aside from San Mateo, more Super Health Centers are funded across Rizal, including two in Antipolo City and one each in Binangonan, Jala-Jala, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Taytay, Tanay, Angono, Cainta, and Cardona.

"Masaya po akong ibalita na magkakaroon din po ng Super Health Center dito sa San Mateo, sa tulong po ng ating Congressman Jojo Garcia, sa mga kasamahan ko sa Senado at sa Kongreso. Maglalagay po ng Super Health Center, itu-turn over po ito sa LGUs, at pwede po nila itong i-expand," Go said in an interview after the event.

"Halimbawa, magdecide sila lagyan ng dialysis machine, pwede po. At ako naman bilang chairman ng Committee on Health, suportado ko po ito, itong Super Health Center. Isa po ito sa paraan na ilapit po natin ang serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan," he added.

As an adopted son of CALABARZON region, Go extended further support to any resident who may need medical assistance from the government. Go mentioned that there are Malasakit Centers in the province that they can reach out to if they need support with their medical-related expenses.

A brainchild of Go, the Malasakit Centers program is designed to help ensure that indigent patients have convenient access to the medical assistance programs offered by partner agencies.

Currently, there are 159 operational centers that have assisted more than seven million Filipinos nationwide, according to the Department of Health (DOH). In Rizal, the Malasakit Centers are located at Antipolo City Hospital System Annex IV, Casimiro A. Ynares Sr. Memorial Hospital in Rodriguez, Bagong Cainta Municipal Hospital, and Margarito A. Duavit Memorial Hospital in Binangonan.

Moreover, the senator is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of the recently passed Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act. The said law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals.

Meanwhile, as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go supported the construction of a multipurpose building and a streetlighting project in the town.

"Minsan lang po tayo dadaan sa mundong ito. Kung ano pong kabutihan o tulong na pwede nating gawin sa ating kapwa ay gawin na po natin ngayon dahil hindi na po tayo babalik sa mundong ito. Ako po ang inyong Senador kuya Bong Go, patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat. Dahil ako po ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo po sa tao ay serbisyo po 'yan sa Diyos," he concluded.

On the same day, Go attended the 451st Founding Anniversary of San Mateo and the annual Gawad Parangal 2023 where he received a recognition award for all the support he has brought to the constituents of San Mateo.