A resolution imploring President Benigno Aquino lll through Alexander Padilla, PhilHealth president, to cause the elevation of PhilHealth coverage of kidney patients who are undergoing hemodialysis in hospitals based in Bacolod City from 45 sessions to 90 sessions every year, was approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.
The resolution authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, said research data posted on July 29, 2008, titled, “The burden of kidney disease in the Philippines,”found out that about 120 Filipinos per million develop kidney failure, which means that each year about 10,000 Filipinos need kidney replacement. The study shows that, while there are three available remedy for kidney failure, such as hemodialysis, peritonal dialysis and kidney transplant, hemodialysis is usually opted by patients suffering from kidney failure, as the costs of peritonal dialysis and kidney transplant become prohibited. A kidney transplant alone requires a patient to pay for at least P200,000, the resolution said. A study from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, a tertiary government hospital providing services for kidney disease, showed that half of the patients who start dialysis die within a year, presumably, because they could not afford sufficient dialysis, it said. This result is back-up by another data, which stated, that, “adequate dialysis costs between P300,000 to P552,000.00 annually. It said. The resolution said a survey conducted by kidney specialists from May to July 2002, showed that only 46 percent out of the 182 patients with chronic kidney disease from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, who were prescribed dialysis. were able to start treatment. Among those who started dialysis, about 96 percent had inadequate treatment because they cannot afford the cost based on the data. Studies showed that PhilHealth only covers about 51 percent of the annual cost of treatment, if the maximum benefit has been claimed. Thus, a kidney patient has to pay for half of the treatment, or at least P150,000, it added.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star
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