Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, known for his firm commitment to providing better healthcare services to the Filipino people, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new Super Health Center in Barangay Lagtang in Talisay City, Cebu on Friday, 10 February.
The Senator expressed his enthusiasm for the establishment of the new health facility, emphasizing that the center will provide much-needed healthcare services to the people of Talisay City and the surrounding communities once it is completed.
“Ngayon po, makakatulong itong Super Health Center, pwede nang manganak diyan. At ‘yung vaccination drive, ‘di lang po kontra COVID, pati bakuna sa mga bata pwede na po dito gawin sa mga Super Health Center,” said Go in his message.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go also emphasized the importance of investing in healthcare and the impact it has on the lives of Filipinos. He previously noted that access to quality healthcare is a basic right that should be made available to all, regardless of their socio-economic status.
“Malaking tulong talaga itong Super Health Center sa ating mga kababayan na mahihirap na walang access sa mga ospital, para hindi na malalayo ang kanilang iba-byahe. Para sa Pilipino ang Super Health Center,” he said.
The senator added that the construction of the Super Health Center is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of the Filipino people.
Services offered in Super Health Centers include database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
“Ang Super Health Center po, pwede diyan ang panganganak, dental, laboratories, x-ray at pwedeng i-improve ng LGUs (local government units) after i-turn over sa kanila. Pwede nilang lagyan ng dialysis,” shared the senator.
“Napansin ko noon, sa malalayong lugar, mga 6th class municipalities, kawawa ang mga pasyente. Manganganak minsan hindi na umaabot sa ospital,” he lamented.
In 2022, the senator supported the construction of Super Health Centers in the cities of Cebu, Bogo, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue; and in the towns of Carmen, Liloan, Borbon, Cordova, and Moalboal. This year, Super Health Centers will be established in the cities of Talisay, Carcar, Danao, and Toledo; and in the towns of Consolacion, and Medellin. An additional Super Health Center will also be established in the town of Carmen.
Meanwhile, Go also encouraged the residents with health concerns to seek government aid from any of the six Malasakit Centers in the province.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where particularly poor and indigent Filipinos can conveniently avail medical assistance from concerned government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. There are currently 154 operational centers nationwide.
There is a Malasakit Center located at the Cebu South Medical Center (formerly Talisay District Hospital) in Talisay City. More are located at the Eversley Childs Sanitarium Hospital in Mandaue City; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, both in Cebu City; Lapu-Lapu District Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City; and Cebu Provincial Hospital in Carcar City.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go has also supported the construction of multipurpose buildings in Barili, Cordova, Ginatilan, Pilar, Tabogon and Talisay City; improvement of existing roads in Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Asturias, Balamban, Boljoon, Borbon, Carmen, Madrilejos, Malabuyoc, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Pinamungajan, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Carcar City and Naga City; improvement of flood mitigation structures in Catmon and Tuburan; installation of street lights in Asturias, Compostela, and Daanbantayan; and acquisition of ambulance units for Madridejos and Naga City.
On the same day, Go attended the fifth-year anniversary celebration for the Malasakit Centers program at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City where he also distributed assistance to patients and frontliners. The senator provided similar aid to various sectoral groups in Talisay City.