TABUK CITY, Kalinga -To provide kidney failure patients the access to dialysis treatment within the city, the Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) will open its institution-based dialysis center this October.
The dialysis center was made possible by the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) of the Department of Health (DOH) whose goal is to improve the delivery of basic, essential as well as specialized health services by improving health facilities and making them more responsive to the needs of the people.
The DOH Central Office will provide the dialysis machines while the provincial government allocated P8M for the construction of the building.
Raymond Palicas, KPH administrative officer, said that the dialysis center which will be located at the back of the Ambigatton Pharmacy will have 10 machines.
He also said that the dialysis center with a dimension of 15×24 meters will also feature a nurse area, waiting station, doctor’s quarter, a diagnostic laboratory, and will operate 24/7 and cater to emergency dialysis procedures.
Palicas also mentioned that as part of the mandatory requirements before a License To Operate is issued by DOH, the KPH will hire a nephrologist on a contract of service, four dialysis nurses while two of their current nurse staff will be trained for dialysis services.
“The hospital will not charge our patients with any amount for the procedure and will make it sure that all laboratory procedures needed by them such as complete blood count (CBC), serum creatinine, electrolytes check and Hepa profiling will be available,” Palicas informed.
Palicas also said that they are now working on the needed documents for the accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhiHealth).
“KPH is aware that kidney failure cases in the province are increasing and this dialysis center will offer help for patients undergoing lifetime dialysis treatment. They need not to go to other dialysis centers situated outside the city because KPH will offer the same services,” he said.
Asked why the KPH is establishing a dialysis center only now, Palicas replied that the hospital was previously prevented from the undertaking because of the huge financial resource needed to construct the building and for the wages of additional workforce and likewise the absence of nephrologist in the province.
Meanwhile, Frances Reggie Ramirez, Nurse II of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), informed there were 31 deaths in 2016 due to kidney-related diseases making the disease the fourth leading cause of mortality in the province.
She said that 39 patients were undergoing lifetime dialysis treatment in 2016.
The figure does not include those suffering from kidney failure but who are not able to get treatment.
Ramirez said that their office has no exact figure yet as to kidney failure cases for this year but she believes that the figure is now close to 39.
Seventeen year-old Roneliani Istak from Malin-awa, this city who endures a twice weekly dialysis treatment, is thankful for the coming of the KPH dialysis center and describing it as a great relief.
In a text message, Istak said that she will transfer to KPH once the center is operational.**By Darwin S. Serion
