Go opens 134th Malasakit Center in Nueva Ecija

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go has vowed to continue his pursuit for better access to healthcare for all Filipinos while helping the government improve public service delivery amid an ongoing health crisis.

Together with concerned agencies, Go joined the virtual launch of the country’s 134th Malasakit Center at the Talavera General Hospital in Talavera, Nueva Ecija last Friday.

The center is the 12th in Central Luzon and third in Nueva Ecija.

The two others are located at the Eduardo L. Joson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, both in Cabanatuan City and were opened in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Go stressed the need to address the financial hardships that patients face to obtain medical attention.

He authored and sponsored a bill that became Republic Act 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 to give poor Filipinos better access to health services.

The Malasakit Centers Act aims to make medical assistance programs more accessible by putting concerned agencies – the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office – under one roof.

Go reminded residents to get their COVID-19 vaccines so they will be protected from coronavirus.

The senator’s team distributed meals, food packs, vitamins, masks and face shields to 364 medical frontliners as well as 39 indigent patients after the ceremony.

Some medical frontliners received shoes and bicycles. Select hospital workers received computer tablets for their children’s education under the government’s distance learning program.

The ceremony was attended by Rep. Estrellita Suansing, Talavera Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas and hospital director Maria Gallardo.