In line with the government’s efforts to enhance, capacitate, and build more health facilities nationwide to cope with the increasing demands for medical care caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other diseases, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go commended the opening of Center for Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine in San Juan City.
Located at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, the CTCCM provides specialized medical services for patients with restrictive and obstructive lung diseases.
It also caters to post-operative patients who require ventilatory support.
During the event, Go vowed to keep pushing for measures to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
He noted that President Rodrigo Duterte was expected to sign into law a new batch of local hospital measures that Go, as Chair of the Committee on Health and Demography, sponsored in the Senate.
He said the President was set to sign 15 more Hospital Bills.
“Fifteen more local hospital measures I sponsored are set to be enacted into law by Duterte,” said Go.
His experience personally getting in touch with people across the country and visiting hospitals even before the pandemic inspired him to advocate for policies that would improve the country’s healthcare system.
Go has been consistent in supporting initiatives to improve the country’s health facilities, especially amid the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had successfully pushed for the enactment of 24 local hospital bills earlier.
In addition, some of the measures aim to upgrade the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City, Albay into a general and subspecialty hospital to be known as the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center; and the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo into a tertiary hospital to be known as the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center.
He also sponsored bills to increase the bed capacity of several hospitals, including Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija from 400 to 1,000 beds; Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union from 300 to 800 beds; Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental from 600 to 1,200 beds; and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City from 1,200 to 1,500 beds.
Meanwhile, the new DOH hospitals to be established under Go’s sponsored measures include the Ilocos Sur Medical Center in Candon City; Samar Island Medical Center in Calbayog City; Southern Luzon Multispecialty Medical Center in Tayabas, Quezon Province; Northwestern Cagayan General Hospital in Abulug, Cagayan; Joni Villanueva General Hospital in Bocaue, Bulacan; and Northeastern
Misamis General Hospital in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
During the event, Go and his team also distributed food packs, masks, and meals to the 379 employees of Cardinal Santos Medical Center, composed of security guards, housekeepers, maintenance, parking
attendants, cashiers, warehouse aides, clerks, secretaries, porters, messengers, drivers, and back office staff.
As the new facility aims to help in improving healthcare delivery in the country and alleviate the burden of medical frontliners, Go recognized their hard work while they continue to risk their lives in ending the national health crisis.