Campaign to make dialysis services free launched in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY—Kidney disease patients here launched a signature campaign seeking free dialysis services, saying health insurance had not been enough to cover the cost of thrice a week dialysis treatment.

“Suntok sa buwan (It’s a long shot). Patients are still grateful that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has extended its coverage from 45 to 90 days of dialysis treatment,” said Mario Enrade, who had to quit his job to take care of his ailing wife.

Patients said the full treatment for dialysis patients would require insurance coverage for 156 sessions but expanding coverage would require an amendment to the law, Republic Act No. 7875 (National Health Insurance Act of 2013).

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial was apprised about the campaign during a national health conference held here last month. She said the Department of Health (DOH) was inclined to strengthen a program that would help Filipinos avoid kidney diseases.

Dialysis is the process of filtering a patient’s blood. Dialysis machines function on behalf of the patient’s badly damaged kidneys which undertake this process.

Kidney disease cases in Baguio have been increasing, from 5,000 patients in 2014 to over 9,000 in 2015, said Dr. Shelley Aral, a kidney specialist of the DOH here. Last year, 941 new cases were reported, she said.

It was not clear how much the government would need to appropriate to make dialysis services free. PhilHealth allots P2,500 for each dialysis session.

“Some patients have tried to stretch their benefits by undergoing dialysis twice a week, or even once a week, and their conditions have worsened,” Enrade said.

“The disease is burdensome. If it strikes a member of a family, the rest of the family is affected,” he added.

Many patients resort to begging for help from politicians “but the government requires them to produce so many documents it becomes tiresome,” said newspaperman Ramon Dacawi, a dialysis patient.

The signature campaign, which is also posted on the website www.change.org., is being facilitated by members of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club, which Dacawi heads. —VINCENT CABREZA