June 11, 2026 – The city government is eyeing the establishment of the first city-owned and operated hemodialysis clinic in a bid to address the growing demand for such service and ease heavily congested waiting lists of patients battling end-stage renal disease.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said studies are presently being conducted by the City Health Services Office on the proposed Baguio City Hemodialysis Clinic with possible location at the Mines View Building to serve as a dedicated public facility for dialysis patients.
In her report to the Management Committee (Mancom) led by the mayor recently, City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes said the data they have gathered showed that there is a need for such public facility in the city.
She said the city currently hosts six Philhealth-accredited dialysis clinics that have a combined network of 123 dialysis machines and serve around 350 patients daily.
Despite this, she said the local dialysis care system is still stretched to its limit.
She said data show that approximately 300 renal patients remain on the waitlist for treatment at Baguio General Hospital Medical Center’s public hemodialysis unit perhaps because private clinics can place a steep financial burden on families.
A dedicated local government-run facility can directly absorb the local patient backlog and provide a critical lifeline for patients who cannot afford long-term private care, Brillantes said.
In the proposal, the city plans to convert the fourth floor of the Mines View Building into a dialysis station with 15 dialysis machines.
An initial study shows that the city may serve up to 45 Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5 (CKD5) patients per day, utilizing three treatment sessions per chair with operational schedule of six days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. utilizing a two-shift medical staff rotation.
The city projects an initial 70 percebt occupancy rate which translates to caring for roughly 31 patients daily right out of the gate.
To get the clinic fully operational, the city has outlined a total initial capital expenditure of P49,500,000.
The mayor said that at present, technical and financial studies on the proposed project are continuing including the development scheme through which it will be implemented.
He expressed hopes that the project will be realized to make critical, life-sustaining kidney treatments readily accessible to those in need. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
