Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Friday attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the super health centers (SHC) in San Benito and Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.
Instrumental in pushing for sufficient funding to construct said facilities, the senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, expressed his confidence that more Filipinos will be able to access quality health care with the establishment of more super health centers nationwide.
He emphasized that public services must be made accessible to those who need government attention the most.
“It is located in strategic areas that can be easily accessed in case of emergency. It has its own rural health care station. This has been my dream and finally we are now groundbreaking here on Siargao Island,” said Go in an interview.
The senator cited that the government has earlier allocated a budget under the 2022 Health Facilities Enhancement Program to build 307 SHCs nationwide.
Go said that he is hopeful that more SHCs will be established in other parts of the country in the years to come.
He stressed that these super health centers will offer health services including database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are for eye, ear, nose and throat (EENT), oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation center and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.
Apart from San Benito and Del Carmen, seven more SHCs will be established in the province, including in Alegria, Claver, Dapa, General Luna, Socorro and another two in Surigao City.
Meanwhile, the senator pointed out that there are Malasakit Centers located at Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City and Siargao Island Medical Center in Dapa if the residents need assistance with their hospital expenses.
Another brainchild of Go, the Malasakit Centers program streamlines the process of acquiring aid from relevant agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The program was then institutionalized under Republic Act 11463, which was principally authored and sponsored by Go.
After the groundbreaking ceremonies, Go led the distribution of assistance to a total of 1,864 struggling residents from both towns. He and his team handed out grocery packs, masks, vitamins, shirts and meals.
In addition, Go also gave away bicycles, cellular phones, shoes and watches to select individuals. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, he also provided balls for volleyball and basketball to the community to encourage them to engage in sports and stay away from vices like illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, Go encouraged those eligible to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
Go also renewed his call for the passage of his twin measures, Senate Bills 2158 and 2155, which shall establish the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines, respectively.
The CDC will be the primary agency that will develop communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. It will be tasked to monitor and control the spread of infectious diseases in the country.
Meanwhile, the VIP will serve as the country’s principal laboratory for virology research, laboratory investigations and technical coordination of the nationwide network of virology laboratories.
On the same day, the senator proceeded to visit and provide aid to indigent students in Surigao City.