Go backs funding for RSCA operations
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography and Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee is advocating funding for more Regional Specialty Centers and ensure its continued operations.
This call is following the enactment of Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which Go principally sponsored and is one of the authors in the Senate. The law aims to bring specialized medical care closer to the grassroots by establishing specialty centers in existing regional hospitals. The measure received a unanimous 24-0 vote in the Senate.
During the plenary debates for the Department of Health’s budget on Wednesday, 15 November, Go expressed hope that ample funding would be further granted to avoid compelling patients with serious illnesses in the provinces to travel to existing specialty hospitals in Metro Manila for treatment.
“We passed the Regional Specialty Centers Act. P10/B is already included in the committee report for the implementation of this law. This is a multi-year program,” Go said.
The senator emphasized the need to decentralize specialized medical services, bringing advanced healthcare closer to the people in the provinces in accordance with the newly enacted law. Each specialty center will host a different specialty, bringing services such as those available in Metro Manila-based hospitals like the Heart Center, Lung Center and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, closer to communities.
Go then urged his fellow lawmakers to ensure that the allocated funds align with the objectives of the legislation, citing the need to address the immense burden placed on individuals and their families when they are forced to seek medical care far from home, particularly for complex and specialized treatments. He then called on DoH to ensure the proper implementation of the law.
Impartiality, efficiency
During the Senate plenary session on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) 2024 budget on Thursday, 16 November, Go called for impartiality and efficiency in the distribution of governmental aid to qualified poor and vulnerable sectors.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee and member of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Go began his statement by expressing his unwavering support for programs aimed at assisting the most vulnerable Filipinos.
“I am here to support the programs that would address the welfare and needs of Filipinos who are most vulnerable and in need of assistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Go personally witnessed the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center in Lipa City, Batangas on Thursday, 16 November.
In his speech, Go emphasized the importance of bringing primary healthcare closer to the people. The senator, adopted son of CALABARZON with familial roots being a Tesoro from Batangas, also praised the local government of Lipa City, including Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, Mayor Eric Africa, and Vice Mayor Camille Lopez, for their efforts to boost their community’s health sector.
The Super Health Centers, championed by Go, aim to bolster grassroots healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural areas, by providing essential services such as primary healthcare, medical consultations, and early disease detection.