Bringing health services closer to Pinoys
Health is wealth. Health equates to life itself and must remain a top priority for Filipinos to be able to work and provide for their families. This is why the Senate Committee on Health, which I chair, spearheaded a committee hearing last 12 March to address matters related to improving the health sector in the Philippines.
I emphasized the importance of upgrading the public health facilities as one of the urgent concerns that need to be addressed. I saw firsthand the situation of many public hospitals during my countless visits nationwide. It pains me to see patients suffering from sickness have to share one bed due to a lack of bed spaces, as some public hospitals have reached a 400-percent bed occupancy rate at some point.
However, I emphasized that if we pass such measures to upgrade and establish hospitals, we must ensure that these facilities will be operational and adequately funded.
Furthermore, we also discussed the welfare of healthcare workers and their benefits. Thus, I appealed to the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management to expedite the release of the Health Emergency
“Any Filipino patient needing medical care or assistance from the government must be catered to since adequate funding has been allocated for their programs.
Allowance for their services rendered during the public health emergency due to Covid-19.
Aside from health, we also tackled the surge of unemployed Filipinos. I urged partner agencies in Malasakit Centers to fill vacancies to ensure that the medical assistance programs available for poor patients are complete while also providing employment opportunities for our jobless kababayans.
Most importantly, we reminded the DoH to ensure that no patient, especially the poor,
“It pains me to see patients suffering from sickness have to share one bed due to a lack of bed spaces.
is denied the necessary services from public health facilities. Any Filipino patient needing medical care or assistance from the government must be catered to since adequate funding has been allocated for their programs. I told them: “Pera ng taumbayan yan, dapat ibalik sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng maayos na serbisyo lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan (That’s the people’s money, it should be returned to them through proper service, especially when it comes to health).”
Meanwhile, as we strive to advance our initiatives and extend help to our fellow Filipinos, our work towards a better future for our kababayans continues.
One of our goals is to provide accessible healthcare services to all Filipinos nationwide, especially in far-flung areas. That is why we participated in groundbreaking ceremonies of new Super Health Centers in Maramag, Bukidnon; Jamindan town in Capiz; Mabuhay and Olutanga towns in Zamboanga Sibugay; Balo-I in Lanao del Norte; and Pili town in Camarines Sur, where we also attended the opening of the Pili Public Market, which was funded through our initiative.
In celebration of Women’s Month, we assisted 2,000 women in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental; 1,000 women in a Zumba concert activity in Quezon City; and some residents in Barangay Concepcion, Malabon City.
Prioritizing health and improving medical services nationwide should not be a burden but an essential investment in the nation’s future. As your Mr. Malasakit, I will continue my compassionate service to the best of my ability to help the poor and to help promote the health and well-being of every Filipino.