SEN. Bong Go renewed his call for the establishment of halfway houses near government hospitals to ease the burden on patient watchers during prolonged hospital stays.
Go, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said the strain of illness extends beyond patients confined to hospital beds to the relatives who remain at their side day and night. These family members often leave behind work and household responsibilities while absorbing emotional, physical and financial stress.
”It’s not just patients who go to the hospital. There are spouses, parents, grandchildren or nieces and nephews who leave their jobs and families behind to watch over them,” Go said following a recent visit to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
Go said that while clinical care focuses on the patient, recovery is closely linked to the endurance and presence of those accompanying them. He stressed that health care policies should recognize patient watchers as part of the broader health care equation.
Go said modest interventions, such as temporary shelter, food assistance and transportation support, can significantly ease the cumulative pressures faced by families who spend weeks or even months in hospitals.
