Senator Christopher “Bong” Go emphasized the vital need to bolster the country’s health sector especially in localities and grassroots communities during his recent visit to Iba, Zambales on Friday, 5 July.
He personally inspected the operations of the Malasakit Center at President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital and organized a feeding program for patients and their families.
The senator also participated in the blessing of the new Super Health Center in Iba, which shall improve the local healthcare system and bring primary care, consultations, and early disease detection closer to communities.
In his message, Go elaborated on the unique roles of Malasakit Centers and Super Health Centers in improving access to government medical services, particularly in remote areas.
A brainchild of Go, the Malasakit Centers serve as one-stop shops where particularly poor and indigent patients can avail themselves of medical assistance programs from concerned agencies, streamlining the often burdensome processes that deter people from seeking medical help. There are currently 165 Malasakit Centers that help more or less ten million Filipinos with their medical-related expenses.
The Super Health Centers, on the other hand, are community-based facilities offering primary healthcare services, including diagnostic and laboratory services, birthing facilities, and minor surgical procedures, among others. These centers aim to bring essential health services closer to Filipinos in underserved communities.
With the support of fellow lawmakers, local government units, and the Department of Health, funds were allocated for more than 700 Super Health Centers, including four in the province.