LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN— Patients with kidney problems can now avail themselves of treatments for free at the newly opened dialysis center at the Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH) in Alaminos City, which opened last January 13.
Equipped with 15 dialysis machines, the facility will treat its patients for free, said hospital chief Dr. Ma. Teresa Sanchez.
She said that in cases where payment cannot be addressed by the patient’s health insurance, the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patient (MAIFIP) can be availed of to shoulder the cost of treatment.
Earlier, Provincial Hospital Management Services Office Dr. Raquel S. Ogoy said the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) issued Circular No. 2024-0014 on July 1 last year for the institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis (HD) sessions and coverage expansion (Revision 1) to establish the rules for availing the adjusted rates of the 156 HD sessions benefits package.
The circular shall apply to “beneficiaries diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD5) who are registered in the PhilHealth Dialysis Database (PDD).”
Patients with HD package will enjoy free drugs and medicines; laboratory tests; supplies (either of the following types of dialyzers: low-flux or high-flux); and administrative and other fees.
Said circular noted that “all PhilHealth beneficiaries with CKD5 undergoing hemodialysis shall have no payment or out-of-pocket for the covered services or minimum standards listed.”
Those who want to avail of hemodialysis treatment at the WPDH dialysis center must bring the following: a copy of the recent laboratory tests on Hepa Rofile: HBSAG, Anti HCV; CBC, Creatinine, BUN Na, K, Ca, PHOs, Albumin; Medical Abstract and Dialysis Prescription from attending nephrologist.
The other documents are: record of the last three dialysis treatments; vaccination record if available; PhilHealth certification of remaining dialysis treatment, PhilHealth Membership Data Form; patient dialysis database; confinement record if any for the same year; PCR test result (swab test) within five (5) days; updated chest X-ray result; and, check-up with Dr. Angielyn C. Asuncion, Fellow Phil Society of Nephrology, prior to treatment with new patient/transferee patient.
Clinic days of Dr. Asuncion are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8AM onwards at ADVH Door #6, 2nd floor, Dialysis building.
To date, the WPDH dialysis center has 29 listed patients, 11 of them are regular patients undergoing treatment.
Before the January 13 opening, about 50 medical and allied professionals from the 14 government hospitals underwent rigid training on Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) to prepare them for the operation of the dialysis center.
It can be recalled that the establishment of dialysis centers in all district and community hospitals in Pangasinan is part of the hospital modernization thrust of the provincial government under Governor Ramon V. Guico III. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
