MANILA, Philippines – The Mega Dialysis Center (MDC), one of the largest of its kind in the country, is now ready to serve the public as it officially opened on Dec. 20.
The state-of-the-art healthcare facility is located in Barangay San Miguel, and was made possible through a public-private partnership between the Local Government of Pasig and Premier 101 Healthcare Management, Inc.
The 1,390-square meter facility houses 79 dialysis machines and other medical equipment to treat patients with renal failure and to cater to those needing Renal Replacement Therapy such as kidney transplantation, peritoneal dialysis, and hemodialysis. A no-balance billing scheme will be implemented, meaning patients will not be charged for the services provided.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Pasig City Kidney Patients’ Association President Willie Dexter Goleta, Premier 101 Healthcare Management, Inc. COO Philip Lim, and other city officials were present during the center’s launching.
“Ngayon naman po, baka hindi sagutin pa ng PhilHealth, ‘di ko alam kung hanggang ilan ang sasagutin nila next year. Previously hindi naman nila nasagot yung 150 sessions, so ‘yung ano ang hindi kaya ng PhilHealth ay pupunan po natin ‘yun, ng LGU. Basta ang importante sa akin, saan man manggaling ang source of funds, ay walang gagastusin ang mga pasyente natin. Pati laboratory nila, libre lang po,” Sotto said.
[Translation: Now, PhilHealth might not shoulder (the sessions’ expenses) yet, I don’t know how many they will shoulder next year. Previously, they were not able to shoulder the 150 sessions, so whatever PhilHealth cannot fund, the LGU will make up for that. What’s important to me is, wherever the funds come from, the patients would not have to pay for anything. Their laboratory (tests) would also be free.]
Sotto also said that while non-Pasig residents are welcome to avail of the facility’s services, Pasigueños will be prioritized as funds from Pasig’s government are being utilized.
“First-come first-served basis tayo para patas. Para naman sa mga hindi pa kayang i-accomodate ng mga pasilidad natin, magtataas tayo ng financial assistance sa fiscal year 2023,” the Pasig City Mayor said in his Facebook post.
[Translation: First-come first-served basis will be exercised, to be fair. As for those that cannot be accomodated by our facility yet, we will increase our financial assistance for them for fiscal year 2023.]
According to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), kidney diseases, especially End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), are already the 7th leading cause of death among the Filipinos. One Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour or about 120 Filipinos per million population per year.
NKTI says the main symptom of kidney disorder is fluid retention or edema. Patients may have puffiness around the eyes, swelling in the feet and legs and water in the lungs leading to difficulty of breathing. Any change in urination may also indicate a kidney problem.
Here are the General Ways of Protecting your Kidneys according to NKTI:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a healthy diet
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid taking medications or herbal supplements without advice of physician
- Consult doctor right away if with symptoms
- Drink lots of water and avoid excessive salt
- Have annual physical check-up especially if with or with family history of hypertension, diabetes or renal failure
- If hypertensive and diabetic,
- Take medications regularly
- See the doctor regularly
- Know blood sugar and blood pressure goals and make sure targets are met
- Make sure the doctor checks the kidneys regularly
-with reports from ABS CBN News