SENATOR Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, virtually attended the launch of the country’s 139th ‘Malasakit Center’ at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, which is also the 10th facility to open in the city, last September 13, 2021.
In his speech, Go explained that the start of the Malasakit Center was a shared vision with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte after they have personally witnessed the struggles of low-income families in seeking medical attention considering that most services are beyond their financial means
“Kaya noong naging Pangulo siya (Duterte) naglagay tayo ng Malasakit Center sa Cebu. Sinubukan muna natin, sinubukan natin hanggang more than 300,000 na po ang natulungan po sa Cebu,” Go said.
“At ngayon po’y naging Senador po ako, isinabatas po natin itong Malasakit Center tuloy-tuloy po ang pagbubukas ng Malasakit Center, batas na ito ngayon.
So, lahat po ng mga DOH-run hospitals ay magkakaroon ng Malasakit Center at hindi po kami titigil kung papaano pa po makatulong sa mga kababayan natin,” he added.
Go is the principal author of the ‘Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 (RA 11463), the first major piece of legislation he authored on being elected to the Senate that year.
The law mandates all hospitals administered and managed by the Department of Health and the Philippine General Hospital in the City of Manila to establish Malasakit Centers.
Other public hospitals may also establish their own provided they meet a standard set of criteria and guarantee the sustainability of their operations.
The other nine Malasakit Center in Quezon City are located at the Lung Center of the Philippines, Novaliches District Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, East Avenue Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine Orthopedic Center, and National Children’s Hospital.
Go also confirmed that that through the joint efforts of the DOH his office, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center will be granted additional funds on top of the previously allotted budget to further support and improve the hospital.
Given the critical situation of hospitals nationwide caused by the alarming rates of COVID-19, Go then mentioned that he will continue to push for more measures that will enhance and expand the capabilities of the country’s health care system while not neglecting the welfare and interest of the frontline medical workers.
In this regard, Go also thanked Pres. Duterte for approving the release of additional budget to cover the payment of the second and third batch of COVID-19 Special Risk Allowance for healthcare workers (HCWs).
The President has approved the release of P407.08 million in funds charged against the 2021 Contingent Fund to cover the SRA of eligible private HCWs and non-DOH plantilla personnel who are directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients from December 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
“Nararapat lamang na mabigyan sila ng dagdag na kompensasyon bilang pagkilala sa kanilang sakripisyo. Kailanman ay hindi sila pababayaan ng gobyerno,” he said.
“Ang ating mga medical frontliners ay ang mga sundalo sa gyerang ito. Sila ang tinuturing nating bayani sa laban kontra COVID-19,” he added.
Based on the President’s earlier directive, an initial amount of P311.8 million was provided to the DOH to cover the SRA of 20,208 public and private HCWs.
With the recently approved PhP407.08 million, the government will be able to cover the SRA of a total of 117,926 more healthcare workers since the President’s pronouncement.
Aside from authoring RA 11463 in 2019, Go, in the same year, also co-sponsored the passage of RA 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law 5.
The law gives civilian government employees, including nurses, their fifth round of salary increases broken down in tranches.
In the same year, he also pushed and ensured enough funding was allotted for the implementation of a Supreme Court decision upholding Section 32 of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, some 18 years after the law was enacted.
The law increases the minimum salary grade of the Nurse I position to SG-15. The ruling was implemented the following year.