SPECIAL Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go launched the Malasakit Center at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro on Friday, October 12, to provide access to free medicine and other medical needs.
Go said the Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop that would cater clients from all over Northern Mindanao to quickly and conveniently deliver health care services to the people.
He said people who need medical assistance and patients who want to have a zero-hospital bill can now avail its services for free without complying any requirement.
The Malasakit Center has tied up with government agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), among others.
Go also turned over some P5 million to the DOH-Northern Mindanao as an initial fund for the Malasakit Center.
"Karong mga panahona lisod magkasakit. Ang mga tawo wala kabalo aha sila paingon ug kinsay duolan. Karon naa na ang Malasakit center aron mapadali ang proseso (It’s very hard to be ill nowadays. People don’t know where and whom to go. Now, we have Malasakit center),"Go said.
"Libre ni kay gibalik ra sa gobyerno ang inyong kwarta ug wala kini requirements (This is for free because the government just returned your money and it doesn’t have requirements),"he added.
Go said this is the 12th Malasakit Center in the Philippines and more will be launched in other provinces in the coming weeks.
He said the Malasakit Center will provide express lanes for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).
Go said the Malasakit Center is a free health care program of the Duterte administration aimed at addressing health-related concerns.
"Nakita nako nga effective siya (I saw that this is effective). When the president became the head of government, health-related programs are continuously formulated and implemented," Go said.