A patient undergoes hemodialysis treatment at a hospital. | Inquirer file photo
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Some dialysis patients from Lapu-Lapu City have already started their dialysis sessions at ARC Hospital in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City.
This was confirmed by Lawyer Apple Collados, chief of staff of Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Cindi King-Chan.
READ: Patients worry about VSMMC’s move to temporarily stop outpatient dialysis in April
Earlier, 27 dialysis patients from Lapu-Lapu City have been affected by the renovation of the Renal Care and Transplant Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSSMC).
The development has forced the VSMMC management to no longer accept walk-in dialysis patients and only accept in-house patients, and those who need emergency dialysis sessions.
Collados said that of the 27 dialysis patients from Lapu-Lapu, more than 15 of them had already visited their office and were referred to another hospital through the Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients (MAIP) program of Chan.
READ: Dialysis patients to be referred to other facilities during construction of new building in VSMMC
Due to this, Collados urged other dialysis patients to enroll themselves in the program.
“Dili pa complete 27 ang midangop na sa office, so naghuwat pa mi. Sige na mi og panawagan. Naghuwat pa mi nga moari ang uban,” Collados said.
(It is not yet a complete 27 who sought help from our office, so we are waiting for them. We have continuously called them out. We are still waiting for them to come here.)
Collados also said that the congresswoman also asked Congress for an additional fund of P5 million to cover the whole 18 months duration of the dialysis sessions of these patients.
READ: Lapu-Lapu plans to open free dialysis center by April — Mayor Chan
The construction of the new building of Renal Care and Transplant Center is expected to start this month and will last for 18 months.
Initially, Chan allocated around P2 million for the dialysis session of these patients.
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