The Palawan provincial board is asking the national government to put up Malasakit Centers in all district hospitals in southern Palawan.
Board Member Ryan Maminta said the centers should be put up in the Southern Palawan Provincial Hospital (SPPH) in Brooke’s Point, Aborlan Medicare, Narra District Hospital, Quezon Medicare, and in Dr. Jose P. Rizal District Hospital.
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop, a small booth in a public hospital that houses desk representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Department of Health (DoH) to help indigent patients and their families in processing the documentary requirements in the availment of various medical treatments and social services assistance.
“The Sangguniang Panlalawigan believes that health and social services needed by our constituents should be accessible, available, affordable and efficient thus promoting the right to health of our people,” Maminta said.
He said the establishment of the Malasakit Centers in public hospitals started in 2018 as one of the primary health care related program of administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Currently, the services of Malasakit Center is only available at the Palawan Provincial Hospital in Puerto Princesa which was launched in 2018.
