By Helen Castaño | 02:01 PM October 23, 2020
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go was the guest of honor during Friday’s launch of the Malasakit Center at Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital (DEDVMH) in Ubay town.
The newly opened Malasakit Center is the second in the province and the 88th in the country.
Go, in his virtual message, said the Malasakit Center is for the Filipino people and no politics involved.
The hospital houses the four government agencies—PhilHealth, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Dr. Nelson Elle, chief of hospital of DEDVMH, said in his welcome address that the establishment of Malasakit Center in this pandemic was a manifestation of the government’s effort to help the people.
Also present were DSWD Asec. Jade Jamolod, Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado, wife of Bohol 2nd district Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, Bohol 3rd district Rep. Alexie Tutor, Dr. Mutya Macuno, medical director of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, Ubay Vice Mayor Victor Bonghanoy and Ubay councilor Violy Reyes.
Expressing his concern for Filipinos who had to spend long hours in several queues just to seek government assistance, Go explained, that the purpose of these Malasakit Centers is to serve as one-stop shops “to ensure that Filipinos gain easier and more convenient access to medical and financial assistance from the government”.
“All the indigent patients, it’s in the law anyway, as long as you’re a Filipino citizen, you are qualified for the Malasakit Center. There’s no patient that is singled out,” he said.
“In Malasakit Centers, patients or their representatives will only need to go to one office and fill up a unified form to request assistance, instead of having to visit government offices scattered in various locations. Also, an express lane for persons with disabilities and senior citizens is available,” he added.
Concerned agencies extending medical and financial assistance housed in these centers are the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
With the enactment of the Republic Act No. 11463, otherwise known as the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, all hospitals run by the DOH all over the country and in the Philippine General Hospital in Manila are now mandated to establish their own Malasakit Centers.
The first Malasakit Center in Bohol was launched in October 2018.
Go’s team provided free meals and gave away five bicycles and five tablets to medical front-liners in the hospital to help them travel to work given the limited public transportation at this time.
Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado and Dr. Nelson Elle.
