KIDNEYS are among the most vital organs in our body and when it malfunctions, dialysis machines become an option to survive.
With the increasing number of patients with chronic kidney failure over the years, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) did not stop at improving methods to make dialysis affordable and available to the most number of patients.
Christine Manguray, Nurse IV assigned in Dialysis Unit said, that their unit is already 34 years old, and through the years its efficiency in patient care improved quite a lot.
"SPMC dialysis unit started in 1983 and the machines were donated at the time but it only has seven machines and before the dialyzers and other things that the patient needs to be dialized had to be purchased by the patients themselves so they have to go to other pharmacies for the dialyzers -- their bloodlines," Manguray said.
She said SPMC's partnership with Frizynews Medical Center helped to lower the cost of dialysis.
"SPMC and Frizynews helped na mapamura ang Dialysis. We used the Philhealth benefit of the patients, so we only have P500 at the time on top of the PhilHealth na babayaran but it already included other materials so the patients don't have to go to pharmacies to buy dialysis materials," she said.
She also noted how PhilHealth made it easier for patients to have dialysis.
"If there is no PhilHealth medyo mahal talaga (it was kind of expensive), nung Philhealth (when PhilHealth) was increased it became easier and affordable for the patients because even injections became free," she said.
The SPMC Dialysis Unit has been upgrading its capability through the years such that it now has a total of 60 machines, up from the original seven. Despite this number, there is still a waiting list of patients as this lifestyle disease continue to plague the people.
"Chronic renal failure cases are quite high these days which is the reason why there are also a lot of dialysis centers that has been established outside," she said, adding that they had to refer patients to other dialysis centers in the city just to cope.
Currently, the SPMC Dialysis caters to 455 individuals enrolled in the outpatient program and an average of 60 individuals inpatients every month.
She said last March alone they recorded 50 patients who were admitted due to chronic renal failure some of whom do not want to undergo dialysis because it is costly for them.
The 60 machines they have can cater to four patients per day.
Manguray looks forward to the construction of the Kidney Institute also within SPMC by the last quarter of this year. This will take out the kidney patients from the general hospital operations and give them more focus and care.
"The ground floor will house 98 machines and will be operating for almost 24 hours for the outpatient department. For the second floor, it will house the operating room for the kidney transplant operations and for the third floor we will have the ICU, which will concentrate on patients with kidney failures and for those who have complications due to the kidney transplant," she added.
She said the fourth floor of the building will be the ward.
"I think they will start by October or November. They will finish by June next year," she added.
She said with the Kidney Institute, health personnel can concentrate on managing patients with kidney related cases.
With the institute, it is possible that they can cater to more or less 800 patients a day.
As for the expenses, the hospital currently charge patients P620 for the dialysis session on top of their Philhealth benefits.