Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher “Bong” Go vowed to keep on fighting for better healthcare services across the country as he joined President Rodrigo Duterte in the inauguration of the new Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, May 4, in Manila City.

The Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, which was founded in 1920, is a national specialty hospital for obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatric cases. It began as a ten-bed maternity clinic in Sampaloc, Manila until 1950, when it relocated to its current location in Lope De Vega, Manila.

The new hospital will be housed in the Department of Health Complex, which already houses the Dr. Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center and the San Lazaro Medical Center. With a total floor area of 43,287 square meters and six stories, the present bed capacity of the hospital is also raised from 700 to 800. The project likewise includes the purchase of new equipment and the hiring of additional hospital staff.

The project is estimated to cost PhP2 billion, including the cost of the infrastructure and acquisition of medical equipment, and is funded by DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program and revenue generated by the hospital.

According to Go, improving healthcare delivery by upgrading current and creating new hospitals is critical, particularly in locations where medical facilities are desperately needed to meet the requirements of the Filipino people.

“Ako po sa Senado, patuloy kong ipaglalaban ang pagdadagdag ng bed capacities at pagtatatag ng mga bagong pampublikong ospital,” said Go.

“Naintindihan ko na mahalaga talaga ang pagtatatag ng mga bagong ospital dahil may mga lugar talaga na malayo. We should continue investing sa ating healthcare system. Ako bilang inyong Committee Chair (on Health) sa Senado, patuloy ko po itong ipaglalaban,” he added.

Phase 1 of the project is 99.95 percent complete as of April 29, while Phase 2 is 93.19 percent complete owing to outstanding architectural work. It is expected to be finished in September of this year.

The new Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital is also expected to expand its capacity to meet the growing demand for maternal and pediatric services from patients across the country, provide modern and secure healthcare facilities for mothers, newborn infants, and pediatric patients, as well as establish itself as a leading research and training center for Reproductive Health and Advanced Neonatal Health.

Go, who is a foremost advocate for improving the healthcare system and services in the country, has also been pushing for several other legislative measures concerning public health. With Go at the helm, the Senate Committee on Health had already earlier sponsored and facilitated the passage of 39 laws upgrading the existing and establishing new public hospitals across the country.

Go has also filed Senate Bill No. 2158 which establishes the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC shall serve as the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. It will be primarily responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases in the Philippines.

The Senator also filed SB 2155 which establishes the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP). The institute shall serve as the country’s principal laboratory for virology research, laboratory investigations, and technical coordination of the nationwide network of virology laboratories.

The Malasakit Centers Act was likewise primarily authored and sponsored by Go and was signed into law in December 2019. It establishes a one-stop shop in all hospitals run by DOH, where poor and indigent patients can conveniently avail of medical assistance from the government. To date, there are 151 Malasakit Centers that have helped over three million Filipinos and are fully operating in various parts of the country.

The Malasakit Center in the old Fabella hospital will be moved to the new facility.

On Labor Day, May 1, Go also joined Duterte in the inspection of the first-ever Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital in San Fernando City and the groundbreaking for the Pampanga Provincial Hospital-Clark in Mabalacat City, both in the province of Pampanga.