Aspiring board member helps dialysis patients

AS PART of her advocacy to ensure the health of her kabalens, civic leader and aspiring board member Raquel "Ate Kay" Pineda over the weekend extended aid to patients undergoing dialysis treatment.

Pineda, who is PDP-Laban's candidate for third district board member, provided guarantee letters to some 50 dialysis patients of Mexico Community Hospital.

Each guarantee letter amounts to P3,000, which can be used to cover the fee for the dialysis sessions of the patients, she said.

"This is not the first time we visited and provided aid to our kabalens who are undergoing dialysis because this is a monthly program of ours through Patrol Partylist," added Pineda, who is also co-founder of Patrol Partylist.

She said that aside from guarantee letters for dialysis session, patients can also avail themselves of the same assistance to cover the cost of their medicines and necessary diagnostic procedures.

She said the assistance, although minimal, aims to relieve the patients and their family the financial burden caused by their treatment.

"Our goal and hope is to extend the lives of our kabalens here because we all know that their lives are dependent on dialysis treatment," she said.

To ensure the continuity of the assistance program, Pineda said that Patrol Partylist will be downloading additional P1-million fund.

The said funds will supplement the P1.5-million budget initially allocated by the party for the program alone.

Meanwhile, Josefina Evangelista, one of the beneficiaries' mother, expressed gratitude to Pineda for the assistance she provided for the treatment of her son.

"This is very helpful for us especially now that our PhilHealth coverage is already low. As a mother of a dialysis patient, it is also very heartwarming for us that she also took time to visit us and check on the condition of my son and other patients," she said.

Aside from the guarantee letters, Pineda also distributed grocery packs to each beneficiary.

Pineda, who is eyeing a seat in the provincial board, hopes to expand the health programs she initiated through Patrol Partylist and other non-government organizations she is part of.

"If given a chance, we can increase the number of our beneficiaries and provide more kinds of assistance for them. And if possible, we will legislate more programs that will benefit the health sector," she said.