LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Governor Ramon V. Guico III’s vision to upgrade the services of the 14 government hospitals in the province will further be established with the construction of more hemodialysis centers in the province.
Dr. Racquel S. Ogoy, Medical Officer III, Provincial Hospital Management Services Office, said the provincial government intends to put up hemodialysis centers in all district hospitals.
Currently, the province has two hemodialysis centers located in Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in Bolingit, San Carlos City, and in Urdaneta District Hospital (UDH). The other district hospitals are as follows: Bayambang District Hospital, Western Pangasinan District Hospital (WPDH), Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital (EPDH), Lingayen District Hospital (LDH), and Mangatarem District Hospital (MDH).
“Our target is to put up hemodialysis centers in all district hospitals in Pangasinan,” Dr. Ogoy said as she disclosed that so far, the hemodialysis center in WPDH has been fully constructed and is currently processing its accreditation and securing other permits like an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). The said facility will operate with 15 hemodialysis machines.
In addition, Dr. Ogoy said the province will conduct Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), to be attended by about 50 medical and allied professionals from the 14 government hospitals. This, she said, is part of the preparation for the opening of the hemodialysis centers as envisioned by Gov. Guico.
The hemodialysis center in PPH is presently operating with thirteen (13) hemodialysis machines, while UDH has 10. To cater to the needs of more patients, the province has entered into a partnership with Urdaneta Sacred Hospital, which is a private hospital, to assist the province. The latter has 40 hemodialysis machines.
Once established, the Lingayen District Hospital hemodialysis center will have 13 hemodialysis machines, while EPDH will operate with 15 hemodialysis machines.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ogoy cited that PhilHealth recently issued Circular No. 2024-0014 for the institutionalization of 156 hemodialysis 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).”
HD package inclusions are as follows: drugs and medicines; laboratory tests; supplies (either of the following types of dialyzers: low-flux or high-flux); administrative and other fees.
Hence, the PhilHealth 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.”
The PhilHealth circular took effect on July 1, 2024. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
