BAGUIO CITY – The State-managed Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) assured the increasing number of dialysis patients of much better service once the new and updated machines shall have been fully operational by the middle of this month after the conduct of competitive bidding for the purpose.
Dr. Emanuel Acluba, BGHMC chief, allayed the fears of the 15-member BGHMC Dialysis Patients and Partners Association, Inc. on possible unreasonable increase in charges and the incorporation of hidden costs once the new supplier of dialysis machines shall have been put in place, saying that management is closely working that the cost be maintained at the PhilHealth rate of P2,600 per session.
“We will not make money from the dialysis patients. We want to continue the necessary services to our dialysis patients. We know how difficult the patients are in that is why we are also doing our part to maintain the quality of service given to them,” Acluba stressed.
He admitted that the previous 14 dialysis machines will now be 27 dialysis machines in order to cater to the treatment required by the rapidly growing number of patients suffering from kidney ailment so that there will be no untoward delays in the schedule of dialysis treatment.
Supposedly, Acluba revealed the new dialysis set up was to be operational two months ago but problems on the set up among others ensured that is why they decided to move back the date of its full blast operation until the middle of this month.
When they were able to solve such major concerns, the BGHMC official claimed the water supply problem cropped up which prompted the management to work out the sustainable supply of water for the center to cater to the needs of the dialysis patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
Fr. Richard Justo, president of the BGHMC Dialysis Patients and Partners Association, Inc., expressed optimism that the new dialysis set up will not result to added cost on their part because they will be the ones to suffer the burden of the feared additional cost to be imposed thereby further burdening them, saying that they will rely on the commitment of BGHMC officials that the PhilHealth rate will be upheld.
Acluba, whose mother was also a dialysis patient for 8 years, claimed he sympathizes with the light of the group, thus, all appropriate measures to improve the quality of the dialysis service are being done to make sure that their interests will be upheld.
He said that BGHMC management will continue to make representations with the supplier of the dialysis machines to make the dialysis affordable to those undergoing the treatment following the sudden increase in the number of patients availing of the services of the updated dialysis machines beneficial to the interest of the local residents.
Acluba appealed to dialysis patients for more understanding on the delayed operation of the new dialysis set up in the hospital because everything is being done in order to have an ideal set up that would have an abundant water supply with efficient and effective service so that the output of the treatment would be pursuant to the standard quality of treatment sanctioned by health authorities.
By Dexter A. See
