BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) is now preparing for the put up of a kidney transplant center to cater to the needs of Cordillerans suffering from chronic kidney ailments.
BGHMC nephrologist Dr. Virginia Mangati said that the proposed kidney transplant center in the government hospital will be realized in the next two years to make available kidney transplant procedures for the rapidly increasing number of patients suffering from kidney problems, especially those coming from the different parts of the Cordillera and Northern Luzon.
Since the establishment of the hospital’s dialysis center four years ago, Mangati revealed that the facility served the dialysis requirements of over 2,000 chronic kidney patients with a 15-percent increase annually in the number of kidney patients seeking the expensive medical procedure from the hospital.
“Kidney transplant is the cheapest and highly recommended medical procedure to address the kidney problems of individuals seeking medical attention from the hospital because it will bring back to normal the life of a patient with certain restrictions,” Mangati stressed.
With the new package being provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH) for kidney transplant, the BGHMC nephrologist claimed that family members and relatives of chronic kidney patients explore the possibility of kidney transplant as one of the means to immediately address their health concerns and reduce the congestions in established dialysis centers in the different private and public hospitals around the country.
According to her, health authorities are now advocating for organ donation from people who are interested to give up some of their body parts to prolong the lives of others to ensure that there will be open-mindedness among the public on the importance of organ donation in helping save the lives of others while keeping oneself healthy.
She disclosed that the nearest kidney transplant center in Luzon include the Lorma Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union and another hospital based in Angeles City, Pampanga aside from the Manila-based National Kidney transplant Institute (NKTI).
Mangati expressed optimism Cordillerans will appreciate the importance of organ donation to help address the demand for kidneys caused by the rapid increase in patients suffering from kidney problems.
She explained that experts are convincing kidney patients to look for organ donors for their kidney transplant because they will surely have a better quality of life compared to their present situation where they have to undergo twice, thrice or more dialysis treatment which results to financial problems on the part of their family members and relatives.
Mangati added those who had been already diagnosed to be suffering from chronic kidney problems stage 5 are the ones that need immediate kidney transplant so that they will be able to effectively and efficiently recover from their lingering ailments that might have hounded them for a number of years.
By Dexter A. See
