SENATOR and chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher “Bong” Go continued to remind the public to prioritize their health and well-being, urging them to seek the services of any of the 153 Malasakit Centers nationwide which have assisted more than seven million Filipinos thus far.

“Lapitan niyo lang po ang Malasakit Center. Handang tumulong po ‘yan sa ating mga kapwa Pilipino,” said Go.

“Basta Pilipino ka, poor and indigent patient ka, qualified ka sa Malasakit Center. Lapitan niyo lang po ang Malasakit Center diyan po sa inyong lugar at tutulungan po kayo na mabayaran ang inyong billing,” he added.

According to the DOH, since its establishment in 2018, Malasakit Centers have made it more accessible for poor Filipinos to avail of medical assistance from the government. Specifically, the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program of DOH, which can also be availed in any of the Malasakit Centers, has helped 7,481,333 patients with a total budget of PhP50.8 billion.

In 2022 alone, more than 1.4 million patient beneficiaries received PhP14.6 billion worth of government assistance through the Malasakit Centers program.

The center is a one-stop shop where poor and indigent patients can conveniently avail of medical assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

According to the health department, efforts are being made to extend the range of assistance offered in Malasakit Centers to cover things like outpatient drug benefits. It also mentioned that PhilHealth, the country’s government-run health insurer, is improving its financing plans to shield patients from having to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

“Natutuwa po ako sa bagong report ng DOH kung saan nailapit ng Malasakit Center ang mga programa ng gobyerno na medical assistance sa mga mahihirap na pasyente sa iba’t ibang sulok ng bansa,” said Go.

“As a public servant, nothing feels more fulfilling than knowing that our initiatives really do help our Filipino people. That is why I am particularly happy with the recent DOH report which indicates that over seven million Filipinos have benefited across the country, from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi,” he added.

Go described how he came up with the idea for the Malasakit Center in order to give struggling Filipinos easy access to medical care.

“Residents from neighboring provinces used to come to the Davao City Hall for medical assistance. However, Davao City funds could not be used to assist residents from neighboring provinces,” Go recounted.

“But former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was the Davao City mayor at the time, could not bear to turn away fellow Filipinos seeking assistance in our province. These interactions inspired me to envision the one-stop shop for all medical-related assistance for our fellow Filipinos,” he added.

The Malasakit Center began as a convergence initiative of the Office of the President in 2018 in coordination with the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas. The first center of its kind was established in Cebu City at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Republic Act 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which Go authored and sponsored, was eventually signed into law by former president Duterte in December 2019. It mandates the establishment of the centers in every DOH-run hospital nationwide and in the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.

Hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own provided they meet a standard set of criteria to guarantee the sustainability of the center’s operations.

There are now 153 Malasakit Centers nationwide. Each region has their Malasakit Centers, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Tuluy-tuloy naman po siya at recently po ang pinakahuli nating nabuksan ay ito pong Malasakit Center sa OFW Hospital diyan po sa San Fernando City, Pampanga,” said Go.

“Kasama ng Department of Migrant Workers, ilan lang po iyan sa mga pangakong tinupad namin ni dating pangulong Duterte para sa mga Pilipino,” the senator added.

Go then reiterated his reminder to Filipinos to place a high priority on their health and to make use of the services offered at Malasakit Centers in the event that they experience a medical emergency.

“Hindi niyo na kailangan pumila o umikot pa sa iba’t ibang opisina para humingi ng tulong pampagamot. Nasa isang kwarto sa loob ng ospital na po. Pera niyo yan, ibinabalik lang sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng mabilis at maaasahang serbisyo,” he said.