KUYA Bong pushes more accessible healthcare services

KUYA Bong pushes more accessible healthcare services | Daily Tribune

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reaffirmed his commitment to bringing quality healthcare closer to communities during the turnover ceremony of a newly completed Super Health Center in Dumingag last 22 July.

“My belief and advocacy is ‘health is wealth.’ I believe that health is equivalent to the life of every Filipino,” Go — who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography — stressed in a video message during the event.

The Super Health Center is a medium-type polyclinic designed to offer accessible, comprehensive and preventive healthcare services in underserved communities. Facilities include birthing units, diagnostic services such as laboratory tests, X-rays and ultrasounds, outpatient consultations, a pharmacy, isolation rooms, and minor surgical operations. It also provides ear, nose and throat services, physical therapy and rehabilitation, oncology care, and telemedicine services for remote diagnostics and consultations.

Go underscored that the initiative is a product of strong collaboration among the Department of Health (DoH), under Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, local government units and fellow legislators. To date, over 700 Super Health Centers have been funded nationwide, with nine located in Zamboanga del Sur.

In support of frontline workers, Go’s Malasakit Team, in coordination with Mayor Gerry Paglinawan, distributed food packs, electric fans, shirts, as well as basketballs and volleyballs to barangay health workers as tokens of appreciation for their dedication and service.

The lawmaker also acknowledged the support and leadership of key provincial officials, including Governor Divina Grace Yu, Congressman Joseph Kim Yu, Vice Mayor Edgardo Jamero, and former Governor Victor Yu, for their active participation in advancing healthcare access in the region. DT

The Super Health Center initiative complements Go’s broader advocacy for a more inclusive and responsive healthcare system. As the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, he institutionalized one-stop shops in all DOH-run hospitals, the Philippine General Hospital and other qualified public hospitals. DT

These centers aim to streamline access to various government medical-related assistance programs. Today, 167 Malasakit Centers operate across the country, having helped more than 17 million Filipinos, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Additionally, Go is the principal sponsor and one of the authors of Republic Act 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which mandates the establishment of specialty care units such as cardiology, nephrology and oncology in DoH regional hospitals. This law seeks to reduce the burden on patients who previously had to travel long distances to access advanced healthcare services.