Bong Go attends groundbreaking of Super Health Center in Silay

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go visited Silay City on Wednesday, June 7, where he, together with Mayor Joedith Gallego and Vice Mayor Thomas Maynard Ledesma, among others, attended the groundbreaking of the city’s Super Health Center, coinciding with Silay’s Charter Day festivities.

Expressing his support for the Department of Health’s initiative, Senator Go emphasized in his speech the importance of accessible and quality healthcare for all Filipinos.

“Ang Super Health Center po ay medium type of the polyclinic, mas malaki lang po s’ya sa rural health unit, mas maliit sa ospital. Sinimulan po itong itayo noong year 2022 sa tulong ng mga kasamahan ko sa Kongreso at ng Department of Health, sila po ang mag-i-implement nito at itu-turn over na po ito sa LGUs. At pwede po itong i-expand ng LGUs. Halimbawa, gusto nilang dagdagan pa ng infrastructure o kagamitan, pwede nilang lagyan ng dialysis machine,” Go explained.

“Itong Super Health Center po, ang serbisyo diyan ay birthing o panganganak, dental, laboratory, ultrasound, at pagpapabakuna hindi lang kontra COVID-19, pati po sa tigdas. At mas mapapaigting pa natin ang ating pagpapabakuna kontra measles at tigdas dahil napakababa po ng ating vaccination rate po sa measles. At ilalagay po ito sa mga strategic areas sa buong Pilipinas,” he continued.

Super Health Centers shall offer basic medical services under one roof, such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services in Super Health Centers are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds had been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. The DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed.

In the province of Negros Occidental, DOH has identified several areas to construct Super Health Centers, including the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, San Carlos, and Talisay, and in the town of Cauayan, under the 2022 budget.

This year, more such centers were funded for the cities of Escalante, Sagay, Silay, Sipalay, and Victorias; and in the towns of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Cauayan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Toboso, and Valladolid. Additional Super Health Centers will also be established in the cities of Cadiz, Talisay, and San Carlos.

Still in line with his advocacy to improve the country’s health sector, Go personally inspected the ongoing construction of the infectious diseases wing in Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital, which he was instrumental in securing funding for as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.

“Asahan n’yo po na tutulong po ako bilang Committee Chair on Health sa Senado kung ano pong makakatulong sa inyong hospital. Kung ano pong makakapag-improve pa sa inyong ospital. Nandirito po ako para tumulong sa abot ng aking makakaya,” Go said.

Apart from Super Health Centers, Go also highlighted the Malasakit Center located at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where poor and indigent patients may conveniently avail medical assistance from relevant government agencies, namely the DOH, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

“Kung mayroon ho kayong pasyente na hindi kayang operahan po dito sa Negros Occidental, magsabi lang po kayo. Ako ang sasalo sa Maynila pati pamasahe hanggang makabalik ang inyong pasyente,” Go offered.

“(Masakit para sakin) sa tuwing naririnig ko ang mga kababayan natin ay ayaw magpaospital dahil takot sa babayaran sa ospital. Huwag po kayong ganu’n. Alalahanin po natin isang beses lang tayo dadaan sa mundong ito, alagaan po natin ang buhay na ibinigay sa atin ng ating mahal na Panginoon. Magtulungan lang po tayo. Sino lang po ang magtutulungan kung ‘di tayo lang po kapwa natin Pilipino,” he encouraged.

Go also attended a sitting volleyball match involving persons with disabilities at Natalio Velez Sports and Cultural Center as part of the city’s 66th Charter Anniversary. He also led a relief activity for struggling sectors.

On the same day, Go was in the province of Iloilo where he attended another Super Health Center groundbreaking, inspected a newly constructed fire station and led a relief activity in the town of Barotac Viejo. He was also in Banate where he extended assistance to recovering typhoon victims.* (Arman P. Toga/NDB photos)