Romualdez thanks PhilHealth, DOH for bump in dialysis cash aid
At A Glance
- House Speaker Martin Romualdez has thanked on Monday, June 24 the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH) for approving his request for increased financial assistance for dialysis patients.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)
House Speaker Martin Romualdez has thanked on Monday, June 24 the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH) for approving his request for increased financial assistance for dialysis patients.
The House leader specifically thanked PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. and DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa for increasing the benefit from P2,600 to P4,000.
Romualdez says the move is "a big help to the more than one million Filipinos undergoing dialysis" as it will ease the financial burden on patients and their families.
“With the increased assistance, they will no longer have to augment the amount they spend for this procedure, even in private health facilities,” he said.
He added that the adjustment supports the goal of President Marcos and the Universal Health Care Law to provide poor Filipinos with free health care.
However, Speaker Romualdez pointed out that dialysis wasn't a cure and only extends the life of a person with kidney issues and their underlying causes.
“We appeal to concerned patients to have these basic ailments checked and treated, like diabetes and hypertension, before they lead to kidney problems that require dialysis. They can of course avail themselves of Philhealth benefit packages for these illnesses,” he stressed.
Romualdez expressed the hope that PhilHealth would likewise approve the other free health services he and other congressmen have been advocating, like free laboratory test and free mammogram.