The steadily growing number of dialywis patients daily seeking treatment slots at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center recently got a boost from Department of Health officials who vowed to expand the facility into a 100 machine center.
The officials assured the expansion after being briefed by hemodialysis nurse supervisor Carmen Bumatnong who pointed out that the unit has become the dialysis center of Northern Luzon serving 239 patients from the Cordillera aned 146 patients from Regions 1, II, III and IV.
“I guess patients outside our region are attracted by the quality of service, the competitive price and the fact that our facility accepts guarantee letters from congress and Philihealth as payment for their treatment.
Councilor Peter Fianza has filed a resolution at the city council supporting the move of the DOH, noting “ the number of patients trooping to the medical center is steadily growing, with many trooping daily , hoping they would be accommodated with one or two of the regular patients skipping their sessions for lack of funds to cover the costs.
Fianza earlier filed a resolution with led to the increase of Philhealth-support to dialysis patients from 45 sessions to 90 sessions per year.
The BGHMC dialysis center, which started in 1995 as a five-machine facility with support from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has grown into a 30-machine center operating at four shifts of four hours each in order to accommodate the growing number of patients coming from all over Luzon.
Earlier, the BGHMC Dialysis Patients and Partners Association came up with a resolution urging the DOH to pursue its expansion plan as kidney failure patients have to undergo twice-a-week dialysis for a lifetime.
By: Ramon Dacawi.
