Senator Bong Go again urged the Department of Health (DoH) to make operational the Super Health Centers (SHCs) built across the country and prevent them from becoming “white elephants.”

Go made the call during a hearing on the proposed 2027 budgets of the DoH and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Go, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Health, emphasized that he supports the funding for the DoH and PhilHealth because health is an important investment for the Filipino people.

“The equivalent of health is the life of every Filipino,” Go said. According to Go, many Super Health Centers remain pending and unused instead of serving sick people, particularly those in rural areas.

The senator stressed that the DoH and local government units (LGUs) should complement each other to make the Super Health Centers fully operational. He said many LGUs have the capacity to operate SHCs, but many others, particularly those in small municipalities, do not have the capability.

Go’s call came after Senate President Win Gatchalian scrutinized the operations of Super Health Centers that remain nonoperational despite having received funding.

A Super Health Center is a medium-sized, semi-hospital primary care facility that is larger than a rural health unit.

Super Health Centers include facilities for childbirth, X-ray services, dental care, pharmacy, consultations and other equipment available in hospitals.