LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-– With the increasing number of renal patients in the Cordilleras, the provincial government of Benguet is setting up dialysis centers in the municipalities of Atok and Bokod to aid the growing medical needs of those afflicted with kidney ailment.
The center in Atok can serve patients from adjacent municipalities like Mankayan, Buguias and Bakun including the northern part of Tublay and Kibungan, which are about three to five hours land travel to the capital town of La Trinidad while the center in Bokod can serve Itogon and Kabayan.
Those from other municipalities like Tuba, Sablan, La Trinidad and Kapangan, can opt to proceed to Baguio City and or La Trinidad, whichever is nearer to them.
Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso, in an exclusive interview with the Philippine News Agency on Monday, said that the cost of putting up the centers equipped with dialysis treatment apparatus would be sourced from the PHP13 million earmarked for medical equipment and facilities in the budget of the province.
Benguet has over a billion-peso budget for 2018.
The governor revealed that in 2017, PHP6 million was earmarked for medical equipment and facilities, but it was increased to PHP13 million for this year to be able to help the patients with renal disease.
“It is high time that we address these medical needs of our constituents especially those afflicted with renal problems,” Pacalso said.
He added that in putting up the centers, the province will also help the patients who have to spend for their transportation in going to the dialysis centers in Baguio and La Trinidad.
Based on the approved annual performance budget of the province for 2018, there is a PHP5.7-million allocation for health services to include hospital-health care units, drugs and medicines, out of the total PHP13 million.
Meanwhile, in the ?2017-2022 Enhance Provincial Development and Physical Framework covering Health Manpower, the current ratio of doctor (municipal health officer) to population is 1:20,000.
The development framework data further stated that there are 15 doctors in the 13 municipalities, but it is below the required number which should at least be 22.
According to the 2015 Census of Population conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the province of Benguet had 446,224 constituents. **Primo Agatep/ PNA
