SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go, on Tuesday, January 16, attended the inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newly established Super Health Center in Barangay Toril Proper in Davao City. The event marks an important step in improving local healthcare, offering more accessible medical services to the residents of the barangay and neighboring areas.
The senator emphasized in his speech that this event highlights the government’s dedication to making essential services more accessible to the Filipino people, especially in regions where healthcare resources are limited.
“Bilang chairman po ng Committee on Health kaya nga po tayo nandito para sa pagpapatayo ng mga Super Health Center, para ilapit natin yung serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan. And of course, pangalagaan na natin ang ating kalusugan dahil katumbas nito ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” said Go after the event.
Go then reiterated his commitment to support the establishment of more Super Health Centers across the country, considering how they can significantly help reduce hospital occupancy rates while bringing government medical services closer to the grassroots.
“Patuloy po akong tutulong sa pagpaparami ng Super Health Centers sa bansa sa abot po ng aking makakaya,” said Go.
“Sa mga itinayo ng Super Health Centers, nakita namin kung gaano kalaki ang naitutulong nito sa komunidad lalo na sa rural areas. ‘Yun po ang layunin ng mga Super Health Centers, ang ilapit sa mamamayan ang serbisyong medikal ng gobyerno,” he added.
He also said that Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country, especially in grassroots communities.
Go likewise confirmed that free consultations would be handled by municipal health offices, local government units, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) through its Konsulta program.
The Super Health Center is an enhanced version of a rural health unit and a one-stop shop, offering basic health services such as database management, outpatient care, birthing facilities, isolation areas, diagnostic services (including laboratory tests, x-rays, and ultrasounds), pharmacy services, and ambulatory surgical units.
Additionally, these centers provide services such as eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) care, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine, which enables remote diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Through the collective efforts of Go as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Department of Health, local government units, and fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. There will also be 132 Super Health Centers funded in 2024. In Davao City, a total of eleven Super Health Centers are funded.
DOH is the leading implementing agency that identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.
During the ceremony, Go also distributed assistance to several attendees. These included grocery packs, shirts, and balls for basketball and volleyball, which were given to barangay health workers (BHWs), barangay functionaries, and residents living near the area.
Go’s advocacy to improving healthcare services in the country extends beyond the establishment of Super Health Centers as he continues to monitor the operations of the Malasakit Centers program and the establishment of more Regional Specialty Centers nationwide.
Malasakit Centers bring together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). These one-stop shops aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount.
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
DOH reports that the centers have assisted approximately ten million Filipinos to date. At present, there are 159 Malasakit Centers in operation across the country, including the one at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in the city
Finally, Go also principally sponsored and is one of the authors of the Republic Act No. 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on August 24.
The law mandates the establishment of regional specialty centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. This initiative aims to decentralize healthcare services, allowing patients from various regions to receive specialized treatments closer to home.
There are specialty centers inside SPMC, which include cardiovascular care, lung care, neonatal care, trauma care, toxicology, cancer care, eye care, and dermatology care. It will also soon provide a renal care and transplant center, brain and spine care, orthopedic center, physical rehabilitation medicine, mental health, burn care, infectious disease and tropical medicine, and geriatric care.
Go, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance continues to support various projects in the city, including the construction of various multipurpose buildings and local roads, the rehabilitation of water systems, drainage systems, and flood control structures in different barangays throughout the city, the construction of a 300-bed capacity infectious diseases building for SPMC, and the acquisition of ambulances.
On the same day, Go also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Super Health Center in Brgy. Los Amigos, and the groundbreaking of another Super Health Center in Brgy. Dumoy. He then witnessed the oath-taking of new Davao civil engineers at Dusit Thani Hotel in the city.
