RENAL disease patients from the Camotes group of islands will no longer need to travel to mainland Cebu for their dialysis treatments, as the first and only hemodialysis center in the group of islands opened on March 18, 2024.
The Cebu Provincial Government led the launching of the 10-unit hemodialysis machine at the Ricardo L. Maningo Memorial Hospital (RLMMH) in the town of San Francisco, according to a live video streamed from the Capitol’s official social media arm, Sugbo News, last week.
The Capitol said persons with disability (PWD) beneficiaries of the Abag Sugbo Program can avail themselves of the dialysis machine for free.
Dr. Rene Macario Borromeo, chief of the RLMMH, said the availability of dialysis machines in Camotes eases the financial burden and transportation challenges of the patients in the islands.
The Camotes Islands are a group of islands in the Camotes Sea that are home to four Cebu towns: San Francisco, Poro, Tudela and Pilar.
Borromeo assured that the hospital’s nurses and staff have received training, in collaboration with Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, to operate and maintain the new medical equipment. They also benchmarked at Cebu Provincial Hospital-Danao for practical experience in operating the machines.
The 10-unit dialysis machine was provided by Medtronix Medical Supplies and Equipment in partnership with the Cebu
Provincial Government.
The Department of Health issued a license to operate the dialysis center, while the Cebu Provincial Government also assigned a nephrologist, a medical doctor who specializes in kidney care and treating diseases of the kidneys at the dialysis center.
At the rate of P2,500 per session, the dialysis treatment at a Capitol-run public hospital is cheaper than in a private hemodialysis center, where it ranges from P5,000 to P8,000 per session.
In 2023, Garcia made dialysis treatment from the Capitol-run public hospitals in Danao and Carcar cities free for the indigent. (EHP)