THE Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City admitted that they currently lack machines and nurses to accommodate the increasing number of dialysis patients in the city.

SPMC Nephrology section reported that the hospital has 60 machines operating for kidney dialysis which could cater up to only 250 sessions a day.

“Davao alone is already competitive with NCR in terms of number dialysis patients. ‘Yung dialysis natin, hindi lahat ng patients naa-accommodate due to lack of resources, manpower or nurses, and the cost,” SPMC Adult Nephrologist doctor Trisha Manalaysay said during the SM City Kapehan Media forum on Monday, June 10.

“Dahil kulang na ang ating mga nurses, the government is coming up with Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) First Policy. The patient could now do his own dialysis sa bahay nila after being trained. That is one way of addressing census of dialysis patients,” she said.

She also said that the PD First Policy is another option for Renal replacement therapy (RRT), a therapy that replaces the normal blood-filtering function of the kidneys. This will also benefit especially those who cannot afford Hemodialysis (HD) given its high cost and those who live in far-flung communities who cannot go on a regular basis to medical facilities.

Meanwhile, Manalaysay said a building for kidney diseases is being constructed inside SPMC. An additional of 40 machines for kidney dialysis are expected to be placed inside the building to cater up to three shifts of dialysis or a thousand more patients soon.

“Hopefully, the additional number will be enough to accommodate patients. Kung may limiting factor man, it will be the nurses kasi marami tayong nurses pero nasa abroad na. We need more nurses kasi pwede naman mag-operate yung [machines] hanggang tatlong shifts a day, depende sa demand,” Manalaysay said.

“We are trying to encourage nurses na after graduation, sana mag-serve man lang sa country for two to three years para ma-sustain ang services natin sa Philippines,” she added.

Nephrology section chairman doctor Franklin Guillano said they are advocating awareness and prevention of kidney diseases through series of activities in connection to the National Kidney Month this June.

“Kidney disease is among the top 10 cause of mortality sa recent report, umabot na po ng 40,000 ang mga patients undergoing dialysis (nationwide),” he said.