PASAY CITY -- In line with the government’s efforts to enhance, capacitate, and build more health facilities nationwide in order to cope with the increasing demands for medical care caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other diseases, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go commended the opening of Center for Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine in San Juan City on Thursday, April 7, which he personally attended together with key hospital officials.

Located at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, the CTCCM provides specialized medical services for patients with restrictive and obstructive lung diseases. It also caters to post-operative patients who require ventilatory support.

During the event, Go vowed to keep pushing for measures to strengthen the country's healthcare system, noting that President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to enact into law a new batch of local hospital measures that Go, as Chair of the Committee on Health and Demography, sponsored in the Senate.

“Mayroong pipirmahan pa si Pangulong Duterte na 15 Hospital Bills. Ipinaglaban (natin ito sa Senado)… talo po ako sa debate sa ibang senador diyan, sa mga beterano. Pero sabi ko, kahit tumayo tayo rito ng isang linggo magdebate man tayo… hindi pa rin ako titigil dahil alam ko po ‘yung ipinaglalaban natin dito ‘yung mga mahihirap lalung-lalo na po ‘yung mga (pumupunta sa) government hospitals,” he added.

Go said that his experience personally getting in touch with people across the country and visiting hospitals even before the pandemic inspired him to advocate for policies that would improve the country's healthcare system.

“Nakikita ko po mismo noong wala pang pandemic isang kama, dalawang pasyente. Doctors alam n’yo po ‘yon ‘yung sitwasyon sa iba’t ibang hospital dito sa ating bansa,” Go said.

“Papaano gagaling ‘yung pasyente? Hindi pa natin akalain dumating po itong pandemyang ito. Tinamaan tayo, na nabigla tayo,” he added.

Go has been consistent in supporting initiatives to improve the country’s health facilities, especially amid the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. He had already successfully pushed for the enactment of 24 local hospital bills earlier.

Fifteen more local hospital measures sponsored by Go are set to be enacted into law by Duterte. These include measures seeking to convert the Cotabato Sanitarium in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao as a general hospital to be known as the Cotabato Sanitarium and General Hospital; the Sulu Sanitarium in Jolo into a General Hospital to be known as the Sulu Sanitarium and General Hospital; and the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo into a General Hospital to be known as the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital. All measures provide for the corresponding increase in the bed capacities of said hospitals.

In addition, some of the measures aim to upgrade the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City, Albay into a general and subspecialty hospital to be known as the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center; and the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo into a tertiary hospital to be known as the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center.

He also sponsored bills to increase the bed capacity of several hospitals, including Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija from 400 to 1,000 beds; Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union from 300 to 800 beds; Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental from 600 to 1,200 beds; and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City from 1,200 to 1,500 beds.

Meanwhile, the new DOH hospitals to be established under Go’s sponsored measures include the Ilocos Sur Medical Center in Candon City; Samar Island Medical Center in Calbayog City; Southern Luzon Multispecialty Medical Center in Tayabas, Quezon Province; Northwestern Cagayan General Hospital in Abulug, Cagayan; Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan; and Northeastern Misamis General Hospital in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.

During the event, Go and his team also distributed food packs, masks, and meals to the 379 employees of Cardinal Santos Medical Center, composed of security guards, housekeepers, maintenance, parking attendants, cashiers, warehouse aides, clerks, secretaries, porters, messengers, drivers, and back office staff.

Some received pairs of shoes while others were given bicycles.

In a separate distribution, the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided financial assistance to the same 379 employees under its Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

As the new facility aims to help in improving healthcare delivery in the country and alleviate the burden of medical frontliners, Go recognized their hard work while they continue to risk their lives in ending the national health crisis.

“Mula po sa amin ni Pangulong Duterte – sa lahat po ng doctors, nurses, medtechs, lahat ng mga frontliners maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong serbisyo sa panahong ito,” said Go.

Meanwhile, to further help the indigent patients with their medical concerns, Go also urged them to avail of medical assistance at any of the 31 hospitals in Metro Manila that have Malasakit Centers, including the San Juan Medical Center.

Primarily authored and sponsored by Go, the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 aims to provide poor and indigent patients convenient access to medical assistance programs by concerned agencies, including Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

“Before I became senator, ‘yun po ang una kong isinulong ko na batas para i-institutionalize mandated by the law na po ay nasa lahat ng DOH-run hospital ay magkakaroon ng Malasakit Center. At sa mga provincial hospital naman po, sumunod lang sila sa criteria set by the law para magkaroon rin ng Malasakit Center,” said Go.

“Ang target po ng Malasakit Center ay zero balance po na wala na po babayaran ang mga poor and indigent patient po karapatan po ng mga Pilipino yan,” he added.

Ending his speech, Go assured all Filipinos that he and President Duterte will serve them in whatever capacity they can.

“Kami po ni Pangulong Duterte ay patuloy na magseserbisyo sa inyong lahat mapa-presidente man s’ya, ma-senador man ako… o maging ordinaryong mamamayan, dahil kami po ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo po sa tao ay serbisyo po yan sa Diyos,” he concluded.

(OSBG)