ILOILO CITY — Patients seeking medication at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district are encouraged to visit the Malasakit Center located just at the left side of the hospital entrance.
“Malasakit is a one-stop shop center located at the Western Visayas Medical Center for outpatient and confined patients of the WVMC,” said Presidential Consultant for Western Visayas Jane Javellana in an interview Tuesday afternoon.
She added that the center was established for the convenience of both patients and their folks.
“(This is) not only for indigents, we don’t even need a certificate of indigency. As long as you are at the hospital, if you need help you can go to the center and ask for help,” she said.
The center was launched Wednesday last week led by Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Dino.
Javella said that the center, one week after it opened, serves almost 100 patients a day. It was different with other centers such as in Cebu where people really flock to avail of the assistance.
She added that probably the public’s level of awareness is not yet that high and the program is yet to be popularized.
In availing of services, anyone needing financial and medical assistance may proceed to the center where they will be properly assisted.
A social worker has been assigned at the center while government agencies such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Department of Social Welfare and Development also placed their own personnel to assist clients.
Go during the visit also handed a PHP15 million check to the hospital as additional aid, said Javellana.
She added that they looked forward to the opening of another Malasakit Center at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Meantime, Javellana said that patients admitted in other hospitals can still seek assistance from the partner agencies of the Malasakit.
She said the “Lingap Para sa Masa” of the DSWD that can assist those admitted in other hospitals. (Perla Lena/PNA)
