Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) to open its own dialysis center soon

Cordillera - The Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) located in La Trinidad, Benguet will soon open its own dialysis center to cater the needs of patients needing kidney dialysis treatment. 

Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas said the provincial local government has allotted 5 million pesos for the rehabilitation of the hospital's Annex A Building to serve as a Dialysis Center that is expected to be finished this month (January 2021). 

A total of 10 units of dialysis machine will be provided by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Benguet PLU has already hired personnel to operate the machines, according Governor Diclas. 

Diclas has been expediting the rehabilitation of the facility so the dialysis units will be used and that more patients will be catered for.

The existing dialysis centers in BeGH and at the Provincial Health Office (Benguet Renal Center, Inc. and Benguet Premium Kidney Care Center, Inc) are two "free-standing" dialysis centers renting at the building.

Dr. Meliarazon Dulay, BeGH Acting Chief of Hospital, said once the machines from the DOH are available, the accreditation and license to operate from the DOH will be processed to finally open the BeGH dialysis center.

source || Governor's Office-Benguet Facebook Page.

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First dialysis center in Kalinga sets to open in October 2020

Photo Courtesy || Tabuk Like/Darwin S. Serion

Cordillera - The Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) will soon accepting patients who are suffering from chronic kidney disease and needing dialysis treatment next month. 

Dr. Marilyn Duyan, Chief doctor of KPH, has said in a report that the hospital has tested the dialysis machines and equipment thus ready to accommodate dialysis patients  by the first week of October.

She added that the hospital also provides regular laboratory needs and tests of kidney patients like serum creatinine potasium, phosphorous and complete blood count with its upgraded laboratory facility. 

Dr. Duyan also said that dialysis staff workers like nephrologist, nurses, medical internist and administrative staff are now ready to engage in the operation of the dialysis center.

She clarified that the staffing requirement is provided by St.Mary Dialysis Care, except for the services of the medical internist which shall be the counterpart of the KPH, according to a report from Tabuk Like. 

With the opening of the dialysis center, kidney patients in Kalinga will not have to travel to Baguio City or Tuguegarao to undergo treatment but will do now at the KPH without incurring much traveling expenses.

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Good News: House OKs bill on free dialysis treatment for indigent patients

The House of Representatives  has recently approved  a  bill seeking to provide free dialysis treatment for indigent patients on a final reading.

House Bill 9156 or the "Comprehensive Renal Replacement Therapy Act"  obtained a majority of 177 votes from lawmakers. 

The bill intends to provide free dialysis treatment to indigent patients, a comprehensive renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with end stage renal disease, and expand the PhilHealth benefit package. 

The PhilHealth benefit package includes coverage for kidney transplant replacement therapy for both living and deceased donors. The package shall also cover the cost of laboratory expenses for both the recipient and donor, hospitalization for the transplant operation and cost of organ retrieval. Likewise, the benefit package covers the medication and post-discharge laboratories for the recipient for a month and the donor for the span of one year.

The bill states  that all qualified indigent patients shall be covered by a  "No Balance Billing Policy" (NBB) while increasing the PhilHealth Z Benefit package  rates for peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis after kidney transplant procedures.

The bill mandates all government hospitals from regional, provincial or national including stand-alone dialysis facilities, to have a dialysis service area compliant with the licensing of the Department of Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Furthermore, the bill ordered the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to cover for the expenses of the remaining sessions needed for both peritoneal and hemodialysis patients after they have used up all their benefit package from PhilHealth.

source || abc-cbn.

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Bontoc General Hospital (BoGH) now operates 14 dialysis machines for kidney patients

Photo Courtesy || PNA

Cordillera - Bontoc General Hospital (BoGH) has conducted the blessing of a newly constructed rooms and 14 dialysis machines on March 11, 2019. 

Of the fourteen units of these dialysis machines, the 10 units were acquired from the Department of Health (DOH) upon the request of BoGH Chief Doctor Rafael Tannao Kanongkong and Governor Bonifacio Lacwasan. 

With the addition of dialysis machine, BoGH can now accomodate 30 - 40 patients who are undergoing kidney dialysis sessions.

The establishment of dialysis center at the BoGH has spared kidney patients in the province of the physical rigors and the financially draining travels to Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Abatan, Bauko or to Baguio city for their needed dialysis session. 

READ ALSO: Bontoc General hospital receives first-class, state-of-the-art CT SCAN from St. Luke's Medical Center

Meanwhile, hundreds of Indigenous Peoples (IP) in town has received free medical, dental and wellness services by a group composed of women in line with the celebration of National Women's Month. 

The outreach was held in the municipality of Paracelis which lasted until evening, with some of the patients coming from far-flung villages to avail of free health services and supplies. 

Free services includes medical check-up, dental services, blood sugar screening, and wellness. Medicines were also  given free. 

The group called Happy Hearts is composed of high school batch mates from St. Louis Girls High School in Baguio City. 

The group has been doing this kind of medical outreach to far-flung villages for almost 10 years now according to Happy Hearts resident dentist Rowena Aquino Pascual via PNA. 

She said that those activities were done in partnership with other Baguio-based groups and organizations, and even individuals who give their services for free. The event was also supported by The Generics Pharmacy of JG Summit Holdings.

RELATED STORIES: Luis Hora Hospital in Bauko, Mt. Province first Kidney Dialysis Center now Operational

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House OKs bill requiring hospitals to provide Free Dialysis

The House committee on health approved a substitute bill requiring government hospitals to provide free dialysis treatment to indigent patients.

The bill substituted House Bills 621, 2466, 3924, 4391 and 5503 and HR 244.

The bill mandates all government hospitals to establish, operate, and maintain a dialysis service facility in their respective hospitals.

It further provides for the establishment of affordable and accessible kidney transplant facilities in strategic areas across the country, as kidney transplantation has been shown to provide the highest quality of life for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.

“The measure was crafted to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health developments. Specifically, to improve the delivery of healthcare services to patients with ESRD and encourage them to have a kidney transplant,” said committee chair Rep. Angelina Tan.

Moreover, the bill seeks to assist patients who pursue first peritoneal dialysis, and hemodialysis should there be contra-indications.

It also provides a screening policy for indigents, and establishes kidney disease prevention activities to benefit ESRD patients and their families.

Its provisions qualify an indigent as a patient with no or insufficient source of income or family subsistence, an indigent as identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development National Household Targeting System-Poverty Reduction (DSWD NHTS-PR), or an indigent but not listed in the NHTS as assessed by a municipal development officer.

Moreover, the bill recognizes the “catastrophic” financial drain caused by fighting kidney diseases.

The measure includes the expansion of the PhilHealth benefit package for kidney transplantation of renal replacement therapy for both the living and deceased donors.

It also expands the PhilHealth coverage for the processes involved in kidney transplantation—from assessment, evaluation, and screening-- to treatment procedures and remedies, and even rehabilitation of donors and recipients.

The bill is authored by Reps. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Arthur Yap, Alfredo Vargas III, Tan, Mark Go, and Carlos Isagani Zarate.

Among those present during the meeting were Tan, Go, Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Estrelita Suansing, Lourdes Aggabao Elisa Kho, and Peter John Calderon. | CMBE

source || congress.gov.ph

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Kalinga Provincial Hospital to open its first kidney dialysis center

Cordillera, - The Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) will open it institution-based dialysis center to provide kidney patients access to dialysis treatment on October.

The dialysis center, which will be an added facility of KPH is made possible because of the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) of Department of Health (DOH) with the goal of improving the delivery of basic, essential and as well as specialized health services by making health facilities more advanced to make it more responsive to the needs of its people.

The DOH Central Office will provide the dialysis machines while the provincial government allocated P8M for the construction of building.

Raymond Palicas, administrative officer V said that the dialysis center, located at the back of the Ambigaton Pharmacy will have 10 machines and is expected to be utilized by kidney failure patients in the province.

He also said that the dialysis center which measures 15x24 square meters will also feature a nurse area, waiting station, doctor’s quarter, a diagnostic laboratory, and will operate 24/7 and cater to emergency dialysis procedures.

Palicas also mentioned that as part of the mandatory requirements before a License To Operate is issued by DOH, the KPH will hire a nephrologist on a contract of service, four dialysis nurses while two of their current nurse staffs will be trained for dialysis.

‘’The hospital will not charge our patients with any amount for the procedure and will make it sure that all laboratory procedures needed by them such as complete blood count (CBC), serum creatinine, electrolytes check and Hepa profiling will be available, he informed.

Palicas also said that they are now working on the needed documents for the accreditation to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhiHealth).

‘’KPH is aware that kidney failure cases in the province are increasing and this dialysis center will offer immense help for patients undergoing lifetime dialysis treatment. They need not to go to other dialysis centers situated outside the city because KPH has same exact services and is ready to offer the best treatment possible,’’ he ended.

Asked why just now that KPH has built a dialysis center, Palicas replied that budgetary requirement is the biggest consideration in the upgrading of medical facilities. This means that huge financial resource must be available to support construction expenses and wages of additional workforce. He also said that the situation was aggravated by the absence of nephrologist in the province.

Meanwhile, Frances Reggie Ramirez, nurse II of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said that 39 patients were undergoing lifetime dialysis treatment in 2016.

The figure does not include those suffering from kidney failure but who are not able to get treatment.

She also disclosed that there were 31 deaths in 2016 due to kidney-related diseases which ranked 4th leading cause of mortality in the province.

Ramirez said that their office has no exact figure yet as to kidney failure cases for this year but certainly, the figure is close to 39.

Seventeen year-old Roneliani Istak from Malin-awa, this city who endures a twice weekly dialysis treatment was thankful for the coming of the dialysis center in KPH which she described a great relief.

Istak, in a text message confirmed her transfer to KPH once the center is operational. (Darwin S. Serion/Tabuk City Information Office)

source: Tabuk City Kalinga Official FB page. 

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Luis Hora Hospital in Bauko, Mt. Province first Kidney Dialysis Center now Operational

(Updated) The Dialysis Center of Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital has been operational since last year to cater patients suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

The opening of the Dialysis Center will help those patients in the Cordillera region in the treatment of kidney related problems.

(Previous Post)
With the growing number of patients needing kidney dialysis in the Cordillera region, the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital formerly Mt. Province General Hospital will soon launch its first kidney dialysis center. 

The kidney dialysis building which was constructed as part of the Php45.802 million fixed assets in the 2016 budget of the hospital will house 10 units of hemodialysis machines. 

The dialysis facility is located on the second floor of the newly constructed building on the right side of the hospital. The new building also houses the outpatient department. 

The new machines will cater the needs of patients with chronic and acute kidney diseases in the locality and nearby CAR provinces including Ilocos Sur province. 

Having this kidney dialysis facility in the province would allow kidney patients to undergo dialysis in the hospital thus not needing to go to Baguio City or in the lowlands to seek for treatments. 

During the groundbreaking ceremony last year, Congressman Maximo Dalog spoke on the importance of the dialysis center.

"Our patients in the province will not have to go to Baguio City and the lowlands to seek treatments but will do so here at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital near the confines and comforts of their homes and families without incurring much traveling and incidental expenses", Dalog said. 

WowCordillera.com visited the facility last month and had a chance to glimpse on the newly hemodialysis machines inside the building that are ready to be used. 

However, representative of the hospital said the dialysis will open as soon as the nurses and personnel tasked to operate the machines have successfully completed their training.  

The said facility will be added to the more that ten dialysis centers in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital (LHMRH) is located at Abatan, Bauko Mt. Province, Tagudin - Cervantes Road. 

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