Go to expand Malasakit Center program

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go wants to strengthen and expand the Malasakit Center program in order to make quality medical care available to more Filipinos.

The Malasakit Center is the one-stop shop program of President Duterte to hasten the delivery of medical services and give poor patients access to free medicine.

In his State of the Nation Address last July, the President said Go was “instrumental in arriving at the right decision through proper consultation” when he decided to put up Malasakit Centers.

Under the program, patients are assisted in availing of the services and financial assistance provided by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Pooled together, the assistance can reduce the patients’ medical bill – including medicine – to a more affordable amount or at times, to zero.

Currently, there are five Malasakit Centers in the Philippines, three in the Visayas: the Vicente Sotto Memorial Center in Cebu City, the Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City and the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City; one in Davao City and another at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.

But in an interview during his visit to fire victims in Mandaluyong last Aug. 30, Go said the government plans to put up additional centers so more people can benefit from the program.

“I want to expand and strengthen the Malasakit Center because I know a lot of people need medical services and free medicine,” he said.