Go lauds DOH for Basic Kalinga Kit for COVID-19 patients

MANILA, Philippines — The Basic Kalinga Kit for COVID-19 patients program is a big step toward protecting Filipinos from the virus, Sen. Bong Go said yesterday.

Go, chairman of the Senate committee on health and demography, expressed his support for the initiative of the Department of Health (DOH) and its partner organizations in launching the Basic Kalinga Kit for COVID-19 patients.

“Thank you to the Department of Health and the private sector because this is a huge initiative of the DOH, especially for our compatriots affected by COVID-19,” he said.

“This is just one of the steps to further strengthen our COVID-19 response so our health care system does not collapse. In this way, we have many more compatriots who can be helped, especially the poor,” Go added.

“With the cooperation of the private sector and the government, we can go a long way towards having a safer community, especially now that there is a pandemic,” he added.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said the agency has finished arranging about 35,000 COVID-19 care kits which will contain 20 pieces of masks, a bottle of sanitizer, soap and medicines. This is in partnership with the World Health Organization and Procter & Gamble.

Go continued to underscore the significance of boosting the country’s health care system, especially amid the spike of reported COVID-19 cases due to new variants.

“Now, more than ever, we need to focus our resources on health. As chair of the committee on health, I will ensure that we have sufficient funds to improve our COVID-19 response and assist our recovery efforts,” Go said earlier.

Meanwhile, the senator also renewed his appeal for the passage of his twin bills that seek to boost the country’s capacity to respond to the threat of infectious diseases.

One of these measures is Senate Bill No. 2158 which establishes the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If passed, the CDC will be the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. It will also focus on controlling the spread of infectious diseases in the Philippines.

“In other countries, Centers for Disease Control have been instrumental in this pandemic. As experts in the field of infectious diseases, they are at the forefront of the health battle against COVID-19. It is high time for us to have our own CDC. President Duterte acknowledges this and has previously urged Congress to pass this important measure,” Go explained.

Go also filed SBN 2155 which seeks to create the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP). The facility shall be the principal laboratory for virology research and laboratory investigations as well as the lead technical coordinator of the nationwide network of virology laboratories.