Malasakit Centers can help Filipinos pay hospital bills

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos with unpaid hospital bills do not have to borrow money and can just seek financial assistance from any of the 141 Malasakit Centers operating in the country, Sen. Bong Go said.

Go, the main proponent of the Malasakit Centers initiative, said faster and more efficient provision of medical assistance services are available in Malasakit Centers nationwide.

“If you have a (hospital bill) balance, you don’t have to borrow and pawn anything, just approach the Malasakit Center for the poor and indigent patients, we will help you. Assistance is available for everyone,” Go said.

Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops for all government medical assistance programs, putting together the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and PhilHealth under one roof, making it convenient for poor and indigent Filipinos to access medical care.

Go, chairman of the Senate committee on health, assured Filipinos that Malasakit Centers continue to operate to improve access to health care, particularly in the face of the existing pandemic.

During the submission of his certificate of candidacy for his vice presidential bid in the 2022 elections on Oct. 2, Go vowed a speedier and more efficient delivery of services in these centers.

“We will ensure that health services such as the assistance provided by Malasakit Centers to those in need will be fast, efficient and affordable,” said Go.

The establishment of Malasakit Centers has been institutionalized under Republic Act 11463.

The law requires all DOH-run hospitals and the Philippine General Hospital to establish their own Malasakit Centers. Other public hospitals, including those run by local government units, may also open their own provided they meet a standard set of criteria to ensure the sustainability of their operations.

“When I became a senator, I pushed it into the legislature, it was signed by President Duterte in 2019, and it is now full law,” Go said at the launch of the Malasakit Center in West Visayas State University Medical Center in Jaro, Iloilo City last Sept. 16.

Go said that throughout his more than 20 years in public service, he has seen firsthand how difficult it is for indigent individuals to receive medical care. This prompted him to open Cebu City’s first Malasakit Center in 2018.

“My office and the President’s are open if you want to ask for help,” Go said. “We will not promise what we cannot give but we will do everything to help you. Especially since we are in the midst of a crisis, this is a time to care for our neighbors.”