The Marikina City local government opened on Tuesday, April 16, its newest dialysis center during its 394th founding anniversary, giving Marikeños free and accessible treatment.
Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro led the opening of the dialysis center located at the fourth floor of the Marikina Sports Complex, together with his wife and Marikina First District Representative Maan Teodoro, and other city government officials.
In his speech, Mayor Teodoro said the Marikina Dialysis Center is a hope for those battling chronic kidney disease (CKD) in their community.
He noted that CKD is fourth on the list of top diseases in the Philippines, and the seventh leading cause of death of Filipinos.
“As we gather here today, let us reflect on the staggering statistics surrounding CKD in the Philippines, a reminder, for all of us, of the urgent need for accessible healthcare solutions,” Teodoro said.
“Ayon sa datos ng Philippine Renal Disease Registry, pitong milyong Pilipino ang apektado ng CKD at humigi't kumulang dalawa't kalahating milyon naman ang sa peritoneal at hemodialysis. Idagdag pa natin rito, ayon sa National Kidney & Transplant Institute o NKTI, na isang Pilipino kada oras ang nada-diagnose na may chronic kidney disease (According to the data from the Philippine Renal Disease Registry, seven million Filipinos are affected by CKD and over two and a half million need peritoneal and hemodialysis. The National Kidney & Transplant Institute or NKTI has also said that one Filipino per hour is diagnosed with chronic kidney disease)," he added.
The Marikina Dialysis Center has state-of-the-art facilities, including 22 top-quality dialysis machines from Japan, staffed by a dedicated team of nurses, admin staff, technicians, and medical professionals, all committed to delivering exemplary care.
“Kaya naman, the Marikina Dialysis Center stands as a vital resource in our fight against this global epidemic. Through collaborative efforts with Tresmedica Trading, Inc., we aim to empower our residents with knowledge through educational programs and forum,” Teodoro explained.
“For our families, friends who are in need of CKD-related treatments, please know that help is within your reach. Ang City of Government of Marikina ay bukas at gagabayan kayo sa proseso, upang maibigay ang nararapat na tulong para sa inyo (The city government of Marikina is open to guide you in the processing the needed help for you)," he noted.
For her part, Rep. Teodoro said that many of the residents who seek the help of her office are dialysis patients.
“Pero sa dami po ng bumibisita sa aming opisina, ang kadalasan na nilalapit ay mga pasyente na kailangan ng hemodialysis. Ang chronic kidney disease po ay pang-apat sa listahan ng mga sakit na nararanasan sa bansa. Kaya naman batid ko po kung gaano kalaki ang gastos ng mga tests, maintenance medicine, at lalo na ng maintenance procedures na kinakailangan ng tuloy-tuloy na sessions. Ibig sabihin, tuloy-tuloy rin itong pagsubok para sa mga pamilya (Most of the patients who are seeking medical assistance in my office need hemodialysis. Chronic kidney disease also remains the fourth most prominent sickness here in the country. Hence, I fully understand the burden of expenses to patients for their tests, maintenance medicines, and maintenance procedures who are needed in a regular basis. This means this is also a constant burden to families)," Rep. Teodoro explained.
Through the efforts of the LGU of Marikina in partnership with PhilHealth, Marikina City now has a dialysis center complete with top-notch equipment, competent nephrologists, nurses, and technicians to cater to our patients. Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center and Marikina Valley Hospital will also serve as partners to respond to emergency cases, she added.
Rep. Teodoro said the free and accessible dialysis center of Marikina is very important to Marikina residents because this center focuses more on kidney care and dialysis.
“Sa pangkaraniwan, halos 40,000 to 60,000 ang nagagastos ng pasyente sa isang buwan pa lang. Sa ating dialysis center, ang dialysis treatment, EPO, IV iron, at dialyzer, ay libre na (Around P40,000 to P60,000 are being spent by patients for one month only. In our dialysis center, the dialysis treatment, EPO, IV iron, and dialyzer are now all for free)," she noted.