By Erma Edera
The first state-of-the-art dialysis center of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) was inaugurated at its former national headquarters in Port Area, Manila, Tuesday afternoon.
“We welcome the addition of another renal service in the heart of Manila that can provide patient-centered care to the metropolis and nearby provinces,” Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III said.
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In a press statement, President Duterte said the inauguration is the “first of many improvements” that will enable every Filipino to fulfill the duty of improving the quality of life of the people.
The PRC Dialysis Center is a fully air-conditioned facility with 10 brand new Nipro hemodialysis machines, which could accommodate 60 to 90 patients depending on whether they are on a twice or thrice a week hemodialysis program. It also has two automated reprocessing machines and a dialysis water treatment system with an endoxin retentive filter from EG Healthcare to ensure high quality dialysis water.
The PRC Dialysis Center aims to make high-quality hemodialysis treatments accessible to the less fortunate, especially for persons diagnosed with chronic kidney failure or CKD.
“We are the first Red Cross in the whole world that has a dialysis center. We are anticipating that there is a dialysis tsunami coming in,” PRC Chairman Senator Richard Gordon said.
Along with the dialysis center, PRC also established the Dialysis Samaritan Program, a sponsorship plan where companies or individuals can sponsor the dialysis treatments of less fortunate patients. Educational workshops will also be conducted to promote the primary prevention of CKD.
PRC also aims to boost its Organ Donation Program, through awareness campaigns and an organized Organ Donor Registry to be coordinated with the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (Philnos).
The 10 brand new hemodialysis machines, two automated dialyzer reprocessing machine were donated by Dr. Takao Suzuki, chairperson of Tokushukai General Incorporated Association while the Endotoxin Retentive Filter System was donated by Jason Nien, president of EG Healthcare.
Present during the inauguration were Sen. Cynthia Villar, Dr. Suzuki, Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chair Andrea Domingo.
As of 2015, there are only 562 dialysis centers in the country, 139 of which are located in the National Capital Region, while the number of dialysis patients was recorded at 32,077 – 5,139 of whom are in Metro Manila.