SOME 10 million Filipinos have availed themselves of the medical assistance provided by the 159 Malasakit Centers nationwide, a one-stop healthcare project of Senator Christopher Go.
Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health. cited the importance of Malasakit Centers in
helping the poor access much-needed medical help.
He urged the Malasakit staff to prioritize assistance to the needy.
The Malasakit Centers integrate pro-peole programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health (DOH), PhilHealth, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in assisting impoverished patients..
This is an initiative he championed as principal author of Republic Act 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019.
He emphasized his dedication to enhance the country’s healthcare system and vowed to “tirelessly work for the Filipino people,” underscoring his experience and commitment in uplifting the lives of the poor.
Go also underscored his role in the passage of RA 11959, known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act which he pushed as one of the authors in the Senate.
This legislation, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on August 24, mandates the creation of specialized centers within current DOH regional hospitals. The aim of this Act is to decentralize specialized medical services, making them more accessible to people across the regions and reducing the necessity for travel to Manila for such services.