ITOGON, Benguet – The municipal government wants the newly established dialysis treatment center will be fully operational to cater to the treatment needs of hemodialysis patients from inside and outside the municipality.
Mayor Bernard S. Waclin said that the management of the local government-owned facility wants to maximize the operation of the treatment center for the benefit of the kidney patients living in the different parts of the municipality and neighboring communities in Baguio City, La Trinidad, Tuba and other towns in Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya.
At present, he claimed that there are only 20 dialysis patients from inside and outside the municipality who are being given treatment in the said facility which had been in full operation late last year.
The local chief executive disclosed that the dialysis treatment center can accommodate around 50 kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment round the clock that is why the management and the local government is contemplating on gradually opening up the facility to those who are within the proximity of the facility to help in decongesting the existing similar centers in Baguio City.
However, Waclin admitted that it actually takes time for interested kidney patients from the different parts of the municipality who are undergoing dialysis treatment in similar centers in Baguio City to transfer their continuing treatment to the said center because of some documentary requirements and the need to undergo the tedious process that might compromise their treatment, thus, the management will continue to wait for further developments in the intention given by some patients to transfer their ongoing treatment to the said center anytime.
According to him, there are already some dialysis patients from Ola Trinidad who already transferred their treatment to the Itogon dialysis treatment center while others are simply awaiting the completion of the required processes and related documents for them to avail of the free dialysis treatment in the center.
Mayor Waclin stipulated that there are three available ambulances that are being used by the facility to transport the dialysis patients from their respective residences to the facility and vice versa to help ease the burden from them and their families in having to spend huge amounts for their transportation during their treatment schedules.
Itogon was able to set the standards in the effective and efficient delivery of basic health care services to its constituents under the leadership of Mayor Waclin with the establishment of the Itogon dialysis treatment center in just over a year since assuming his post as the town’s local chief executive on July 1, 2022 following his convincing victory during the May 9, 2022 synchronized local and national elections.
He pointed out that the put up of the Itogon dialysis treatment center is a concrete example of public private partnership because the local government shouldered the expenses for the improvement of the facility while the private sector, particularly the various companies doing business in the municipality and concerned religious organizations, voluntarily donated the 12 units of dialysis machines and the ambulances and other necessary equipment needed to operationalize the center while the Office of Rep. Eric Yap assured his support to free the patients from the burden of having to shell out certain amounts of money. By Dexter A. See