This is Amor Orpilla’s ninth year as a dialysis patient and she’s trying to figure out how she survived this far, with hardly a close relative to help her cope with the costs of being alive.
Now 38 years old, Amor continues to reach out to government support agencies and private benefactors, saying “Whatever the costs, life is still beautiful”.
Her “Social Case Study Report” prepared by the social welfare’s office of La Trinidad, Benguet, says her uncle Robert is her lone family supporter with a monthly P5,000 allowance for her dialysis.
“That’s why I’m asking the help of media, for me to be able to reach out to would-be Samaritans to help me cope with the rising costs of my maintaining to be alive,” she said last week.
On top of her burdens is the unpaid cost of the repair of her fistula, which she had to undergo as an emergency case so she could continue to undergo her dialysis three times a week.
“I’ve used up my Philhealth privileges in paying for the other costs of the operation, thereby leaving me with nothing to charge to my dialysis treatment sessions.
Philhealth-registered kidney patients are entitled to 90 dialysis treatment sessions per year. With six months more before the end of the year, Amor now has to pay for her treatment sessions, having used up her Philhealth session for her hospitalization resulting from the repair of her fistula.
People who can reach out to the patient may ring her cellphone number 09202239912.** Ramon Dacawi
