NEW HOPE. Health officials along with Batac City Mayor Albert Chua witnessed the launching of another Malasakit Center at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center on Friday (July 23), giving new hope to patients in need. This is now the third Malasakit Center in the province of Ilocos Norte or the 130th Malasakit Center in the country, which serves as a one-stop shop for indigent patients to access financial and medical assistance from various government agencies. (Screenshot from Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center Facebook Page)
LAOAG CITY – Another Malasakit Center opened on Friday at the state-run Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) in Batac City, giving new hope to Ilocanos who need it most.
In her short speech during a simple virtual ceremony, Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, medical center chief, expressed her gratitude to the national government under the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for prioritizing the health needs of its people particularly in this time of pandemic.
“We welcome the establishment of Malasakit Center at the MMMH&MC, a concept showing an attitude of concern, a voluntary act of assisting those in need. Thank you to everybody behind this endeavor,” said Otayza.
The newly-opened Malasakit Center in Batac City is now the 130th in the country, which aims to bring down to lowest amount possible, if not zero-balance, the hospital bill, including out-of-pocket expenditures, particularly of poor and indigent Filipinos.
“I believe that this added government service in the city of Batac will ensure fast and efficient service to the people. We thank our President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go for this great initiative,” said Batac City Mayor Albert Chua.
For the greater convenience of the people in need of health emergency assistance, the center will house representatives of government line agencies such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Health, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to assess the patients in need of help. Once qualified, the processing of papers seeking for assistance can be done in a day. Previously, an indigent patient has to move from one place to another to request assistance from various government agencies and these often take longer time and effort before a certain request is granted.
Other than the Batac hospital, the Laoag City General Hospital, as well as the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital in Ilocos Norte now have its own Malasakit Center, ready to assist any resident, who is in need of medical attention. (PNA)
