The 89th Malasakit Center in the country opened at the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH) in Digos City.
Senator Bong Go, who led the center’s opening, described it as a one-stop-shop facility that caters to the medical needs, especially of the “poorest of the poor” in Davao del Sur province.
“This is for the people of Davao del Sur. This is your money and it is rightful that you will benefit from it. If you are a Filipino, you are most qualified to benefit from the Malasakit Center,” Go said.
The Malasakit Center houses personnel from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and the Department of Health (DOH).
“The center’s priority clientele is the poorest of the poor.”
The legislator reiterated that the center’s priority clientele are the “poorest of the poor”, who no longer have to queue at long lines since all relevant government agencies are already located in the center.
When asked about the establishment of the next Malasakit Center, the lawmaker said he wants to open more centers in various parts of the country to extend help to the Filipinos further.
“We will push for more centers as what I promised to the Filipinos,” the senator stressed.
Meanwhile, Governor Douglas Ra Cagas lauded the Malasakit Center’s establishment in the province, saying it would help more poor patients who may not have to pay even a centavo for their hospitalization.
“This will help our people big time.”
“I am thankful that he [Go] remembers Davao del Sur. This will help our people big time,” Cagas said.
Dr. Bonifacio Vosotros, DSPH chief of hospital, said it was possible that all patients would be covered or can avail of the Malasakit services regardless of their ailments.
“Actually, we have general protocols for that. Maybe there are few exemptions, such as if the amount after surgery is huge. For now, we have not yet checked on the guidelines yet, and we are given up to December 31 to review it,” Vosotros said.
He also assured that the center would immediately operate right after the launch.
“We really need this because we have the so-called ‘class C and D’ of our society who are unemployed or no income, and they rely on government hospitals. That’s the point why we have a Malasakit Center,” Vosotros concluded.