Labella: More dialysis centers in Cebu City

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella | PIO Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is hoping that more dialysis centers will rise in Cebu City in the near future.

Labella said that the establishment of two dialysis centers in the city, one at the North Reclamation Area (NRA) and South Road Properties (SRP) were already a good development for the city.

Read: Read: Capitol inks MOA for satellite dialysis center in mall

The city government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Health and SM Prime Holdings for the dialysis center on August 13, 2020.

The mayor said the dialysis center at the NRA will be handled by the Cebu City Medical Center and this will be for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Read: Register at VSMMC for access to new dialysis centers in Cebu City

On the ther hand, the dialysis center at the SRP will be operated by the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

VSMMC will handle the expenses for the dialysis centers since the patients will come from their registered list.

Still, the mayor said there should be more dialysis centers set up in the city for non-COVID-19 patients because there was a need to decongest the hospitals as well as keep the patients safe from the coronavirus infection.

A dialysis center situated outside the hospital grounds in areas closer and more comfortable to the patients such as malls would allow a safer atmosphere for them.

Most of the hemodialysis patients have kidney complications and diabetes, and they are the most prone to the COVID-19.

“We will not stop hoping for more dialysis center in Cebu City,” said Labella.

The mayor said he was hoping for an additional dialysis center could be put up at the North District for non-COVID-19 patients. /dbs