Sen. 'Bato' pushes passage of Renal Replacement Therapy Act
Published Jan 2, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is seeking the passage of a bill providing comprehensive renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage kidney disease.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa
(PRIB photo by Cesar Tomambo/26 September 2019) Dela Rosa said the number of Filipinos suffering from kidney disease is alarmingly on the rise, thus, the passage of Senate Bill No. 1236, seeks to address this phenomenon. “Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the primary causes of mortality among Filipinos. According to the Department of Health (DOH), at least one Filipino dies every hour from kidney failure,” Dela Rosa said in the explanatory note of the bill. Senate Bill No. 1236, or the proposed “Comprehensive Renal Replacement Therapy Act,” primarily seeks to address the number of patients suffering end stage renal disease or ESRD by providing a therapy facility for them. “This will enable the life-saving therapy to be more accessible (to patients) with CKD or ESRD,” Dela Rosa said. The bill mandates the DOH to create CKD prevention strategies and health promotion activities which include, among others, advocacy activities targeting relatives of dialysis patients who are at high risk for developing CKD themselves. The measure also directs government health agencies to provide instructional materials and regular educational activities on the common symptoms of kidney disease and advisories on the appropriate protocols for the diagnostic evaluation of possible kidney disease. Also under the bill, the PhilHealth is mandated to develop a package that will provide the highest benefit for kidney transplant, followed by peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. The bill also mandates the DOH, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other similar agencies to establish rehabilitative health care services for ESRD patients who have undergone kidney transplant. Citing a 2017 report of the Philippine Renal Disease Registry, Dela Rosa noted that 21,535 Filipinos were said to have started dialysis treatment, compared with only 18,603 patients recorded in 2015. He noted that this does not include patients who failed to get dialysis treatment due to high costs and the unavailability of health facilities. “This measure will not only provide accessible curative health services for CKD patients, but will also halt the rise in kidney-related diseases incidence through effective health promotion,” Dela Rosa said.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa(PRIB photo by Cesar Tomambo/26 September 2019) Dela Rosa said the number of Filipinos suffering from kidney disease is alarmingly on the rise, thus, the passage of Senate Bill No. 1236, seeks to address this phenomenon. “Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the primary causes of mortality among Filipinos. According to the Department of Health (DOH), at least one Filipino dies every hour from kidney failure,” Dela Rosa said in the explanatory note of the bill. Senate Bill No. 1236, or the proposed “Comprehensive Renal Replacement Therapy Act,” primarily seeks to address the number of patients suffering end stage renal disease or ESRD by providing a therapy facility for them. “This will enable the life-saving therapy to be more accessible (to patients) with CKD or ESRD,” Dela Rosa said. The bill mandates the DOH to create CKD prevention strategies and health promotion activities which include, among others, advocacy activities targeting relatives of dialysis patients who are at high risk for developing CKD themselves. The measure also directs government health agencies to provide instructional materials and regular educational activities on the common symptoms of kidney disease and advisories on the appropriate protocols for the diagnostic evaluation of possible kidney disease. Also under the bill, the PhilHealth is mandated to develop a package that will provide the highest benefit for kidney transplant, followed by peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. The bill also mandates the DOH, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other similar agencies to establish rehabilitative health care services for ESRD patients who have undergone kidney transplant. Citing a 2017 report of the Philippine Renal Disease Registry, Dela Rosa noted that 21,535 Filipinos were said to have started dialysis treatment, compared with only 18,603 patients recorded in 2015. He noted that this does not include patients who failed to get dialysis treatment due to high costs and the unavailability of health facilities. “This measure will not only provide accessible curative health services for CKD patients, but will also halt the rise in kidney-related diseases incidence through effective health promotion,” Dela Rosa said.