Sen. Bong Go raised concerns that completed health facilities could remain idle or underutilized if delays, manpower shortages and missing equipment are not properly addressed.
During a Senate Committee on Health and Demography hearing, Go urged the Department of Health and local government units to strengthen coordination in implementing the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, or HFEP. The program finances upgrades for hospitals, rural health units, village health stations and other medical facilities through infrastructure projects, equipment procurement and modernization efforts.
Lawmakers at the hearing flagged bottlenecks affecting health service delivery in several provinces. These included project delays, insufficient manpower and the lack of operational equipment despite already completed structures.
The concern is straightforward. A completed building still requires health workers, equipment and coordination before it can properly serve patients. Without those, public funds allocated for health infrastructure may fail to translate into accessible services for communities most in need of medical care.
Go said health care infrastructure projects must provide tangible benefits, especially in underserved and remote areas where access to medical services remains limited. He urged the DOH and local governments to work closely so completed facilities are opened, equipped, staffed and fully utilized by the public.
He cited Super Health Centers in Tingloy, Batangas; Anilao, Iloilo; and parts of Bukidnon as examples of effective coordination between national and local governments. Go said such collaboration helps prevent completed health care projects from becoming unused or underutilized.
“I want to express my support for this committee in assessing the status of our health care facilities nationwide, identifying implementation gaps, and ensuring that public funds allocated for health care infrastructure translate into accessible, functional and quality health care for every Filipino,” Go said.
