THE Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City is already capable of providing kidney transplant services after its first successful operation Friday, August 25.
Medical center chief Dr. Julius Drilon, in a press conference Friday, said their first case of kidney transplant involved a 42-year-old female donor and 39-year-old male recipient, both from Bacolod City.
He said the transplant, which lasted for about four hours, is a “subsidized” operation as the hospital shouldered some of the patient's expenses, including medical and professional fees.
“For us, this first successful kidney transplant will have a lot of impact to the community because we want to prove that we are already capable and competent in doing serious medical operations,” Drilon said, adding that “it is part of the hospital's measures to address the general concerns of the community we serve.”
Data presented during the press conference showed that current kidney transplantation cases in the country number about 40,000. Of which, only about 1,600 cases were done.
In Bacolod alone, at least 1,000 individuals are considered potential candidates for kidney transplant.
In Manila, the cost of an operation ranges from P1.2 million to P1.5 million per patient with suitable donor. It would be lesser at the CLMMRH, which is a state-run hospital under the Department of Health.
As a measure to lessen the cost of operation, the regional hospital is in the process of acquiring accreditation from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for the provision of Z Package benefits.
Dr. Rose Marie Liquete, executive director of National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), said that through the package, the PhilHealth will provide P600,000 in subsidy, resulting to a much lower cost for the patient.
Liquete added that the cost of kidney transplant operation is high as it involves two patients – the donor and the recipient.
Aside from surgical expenses, the patient will also spend for anti-rejection medicine, she said.
Kidney diseases are still among the top 10 causes of deaths among Filipinos, Liquete said.
Drilon said they are optimistic that CLMMRH will be able to obtain a PhilHealth accreditation this year.
He added that aside from the Z Package, the hospital will continue to utilize other available programs that will help patients, especially indigents, lessen the cost of their medical expenses.
“Through a good donor recruitment program, we hope to line-up more patients availing our kidney transplant services soon,” he said.
The CLMMRH, in the next couple of years, will also start conducting cardiovascular surgery, Drilon added.