In a steadfast commitment to aid indigent patients and their families, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, continues his feeding programs in public hospitals equipped with Malasakit Centers often visited by indigent patients.
The initiative aims to provide meals for poor patients and their watchers as they navigate the medical processes required for their treatment. Recognizing the financial burdens these families face, Go's program ensures they have one less worry during their hospital stay.
Go acknowledges that many patients and their families arrive at hospitals with just enough funds for transportation and medical expenses, often seeking assistance from the Malasakit Centers. These Malasakit centers serve as a one-stop shop for various government medical assistance programs, streamlining support for those in need.
“Sa mga pasyente, lapitan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center dahil para ‘to sa inyo. Kung may hospital bill kayo, nandiyan ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na tutulong para mabayaran ito. Tutulungan kayo ng Malasakit Center upang mabayaran ang inyong hospital billing,” Go said.
Established through the initiative of Senator Bong Go, these centers aim to streamline the process of obtaining medical aid from agencies like the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), PhilHealth, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program and has already established 165 centers nationwide. The program has been instrumental in assisting more or less ten million Filipinos, particularly the underprivileged who often struggle to cover medical costs.
By streamlining access, Malasakit Centers significantly reduce the time and effort patients and their families spend seeking help, ensuring quicker and more efficient access to necessary support. Seeing the significant impact and the positive feedback from beneficiaries, Go is inspired to expand these feeding programs nationwide.
Launched late last year, the feeding program was initially a small gesture of assistance. However, its success and the substantial number of Filipinos it has benefited have motivated the senator to organize more feeding initiatives. "This program is a little help for our fellow Filipinos, but its impact has been immense," said Go. "I am inspired to continue and expand this effort to reach more people in need."
From 27 to 30 June, Senator Go's Malasakit Team conducted feeding programs at several hospitals, including Pasay General Hospital, Las Piñas General Hospital, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and the Lung Center of the Philippines. These programs provided much-needed meals to patients and their watchers, alleviating some financial stress associated with hospital stays.
“Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo ‘yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo ‘yan kay Allah,” emphasized Go, known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate brand of service.
“Sa mga pasyente, huwag po kayong mawawalan ng pag-asa. Patuloy nating haharapin ang mga pagsubok na ito ng magkakasama. Kasama ninyo kami na nagmamalasakit sa inyong kalagayan. Magtulungan tayo, at sa tulong ng Diyos, malalampasan natin ang mga pagsubok na ito,” he ended.