Hontiveros to PhilHealth: Be humane, resume free dialysis program

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to be humane and resume its free dialysis program.

Her appeal comes amid reports that a group, the Dialysis PH Support Group Inc., lamented how dialysis centers reject PhilHealth cards of patients who have availed themselves of over 90 dialysis sessions.

“Sa mga panahong ito, ang pagiging makatao, higit sa ano pa man, ang pinakamahalaga. Bago ang pera o kita, ang gobyerno ay dapat handang magbigay ng kalinga sa mga nangangailangan. Ito ang ating sinumpaan: ang magsilbi sa bayan,” the senator said in a statement.

(In these times, being humane is the most important. Before money or income, the government should be prepared to provide for the needs of the people. Our sworn duty is to serve the people.)

She also appealed to the state health insurer to “expedite the process of reviewing and upgrading the benefits package for dialysis to sufficiently meet the needs of patients.”

Reports cited that the group claimed some dialysis centers, such as in Region 4 and Metro Manila, halted the dialysis programs’ implementation. Because of this, some group members had to pay for their sessions or find other dialysis centers that were too far away from their communities.

“Hindi makatarungan na sa panahong marami ang nawalan ng trabaho at naghihirap ay pipilitin nating maglabas ng higit P12,000 sa isang linggo ang mga pasyenteng nagdadialysis para lang mabuhay,” Hontiveros lamented.

(It is inhumane that in such times many are losing jobs and are suffering. We are asking patients to pay P12,000 a week just for them to live.)

“Walang pagkukunan ng dose mil ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mga mahihirap,” she added.

(They, especially the poor, do not know where to get the P12,000.)

Hontiveros then said that the government must find ways to fund life-saving services such as the dialysis program.

“Even if push comes to shove, lalo na pag limitado ang pondo natin, we must find ways to fund these life-saving services. Huwag nating gawing ‘sacrificial lambs’ ang mga dialysis patients,” she said.

(Even if push comes to shove, especially if our sources are limited, we must find ways to fund these life-saving services. Let us not make dialysis patients as “sacrificial lambs.”)  [ac]