Acknowledging how issues on mental health disorders are often misunderstood and neglected in the country, Senator Bong Go, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, backed the recent call made by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for additional funding for children’s mental health services.
Asked about PhilHealth’s recent call after he personally led a relief operation for fire victims in Mandaluyong City, Go replied, “I support it, and considering na maraming mga kababayan natin ang apektado po ang mental health lalo na dahil sa krisis na dulot ng pandemya. Mahigit dalawang taon na po tayong nagsasakripisyo at hindi lang po sa mga bata, maging ang mga matatanda at OFWs natin, noong unang panahon, first few months of the pandemic, marami pong depressed, maraming apektado ang kanilang mental health. Lalo na ngayong hirap sila sa pag-aadjust sa buhay natin dulot ng COVID-19.”
“Consistent tayo sa pag-add ng budget for mental health.”
“Marami ang nawalan ng trabaho at kabuhayan, maraming naghirap, hindi alam kung saan kukunin ang pambili ng pagkain at panggastos sa araw-araw. At mayroong P1.86B budget ang DOH for mental health medicines under the 2023 national budget, mayroon din pong P12 million budget for mental health awareness and hotline. Consistent tayo sa pag-add ng budget for mental health,” the legislator continued.
The call was made by PhilHealth amid the reported increase in violent incidents and the emergence of mental health problems among school kids.
For his part as a lawmaker, Go filed Senate Bill No. 1786 last January 26, which seeks to mandate public higher education institutions (HEIs) to strengthen their mental health services and to establish Mental Health Offices in their respective campuses.
Furthermore, the measure also proposes to mandate educational institutions to raise awareness on mental health issues, identify and provide support and services for individuals at risk, and facility access by developing necessary mechanisms to further empower educational institutions in promoting the mental health and wellness of students, faculty, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other personnel.
Still in line with his commitment to further capacitate the country’s healthcare system, Go has once again urged PhilHealth to further extend a more holistic support to the Filipino people, especially during these challenging times as he filed SBN 190 seeking to mandate PhilHealth to provide free dialysis to all its members.
“Iyan po ang aking priority, at sabi ko, consistent tayo sa pag-add ng budget sa mental health. In 2021 we added P384 for the mental health program of the DOH. In 2022, we advocated for P200 million for the same. In 2023, we successfully pushed for a special provision in the 2023 budget for the improvement of benefit packages of PhilHealth, including mental health package,” Go cited.
Go also highlighted the different services offered in Malasakit Centers and Super Health Centers, saying, “Mayroon din pong Malasakit Center dito sa Mandaluyong (City), dito sa National Center for Mental Health. Kailangan nila ng tulong sa pagpapagamot doon sa Mental Hospital, mayro’n din pong Malasakit Center. (At) handa (din) pong tumulong sa ating mga kababayan na apektado po sa mental health. Asahan n’yo sa abot ng aking makakaya ay tutulong po ako to improve our healthcare system.”
The Malasakit Centers Act of 2019 was principally sponsored and authored by Go which mandates all Department of Health-run hospitals, plus the Philippine General Hospital in Manila City, to establish their own Malasakit Centers.
The center brings together the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, PhilHealth, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office under one roof to ensure poor and indigent patients have more convenient access to medical assistance by the government.
Go likewise supported the construction of Super Health Centers across the country which offer basic health services such as database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services 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.
“With Super Health Center, pwede pong manganak at mapapaigting pa po ang pagpapabakuna hindi lang po laban sa COVID-19.”
“Minsan po nanganganak po ang mga buntis sa tricycle, sa jeepney sa layo ng mga ospital. Ngayon po with Super Health Center, pwede pong manganak at mapapaigting pa po ang pagpapabakuna hindi lang po laban sa COVID-19. Pati po sa mga bata, sa mga (may) tigdas (pwede po diyan). Dahil nakakalat na po itong Super Health Center sa buong Pilipinas na tutulong po sa mga strategic areas na municipalities na wala pong sariling Super Health Center and it will be turn over na po sa LGUs,” he explained.
