The Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos City has recently inaugurated its own dialysis center, marking a significant improvement in healthcare accessibility for residents of Western Pangasinan. Since its opening on January 13, the center has been serving 11 out of the 29 registered patients, offering them free hemodialysis services. This initiative has notably reduced travel times for patients like Descebelle Ordoñez from Bani town, who previously had to travel two hours to San Carlos City for treatment. Now, her journey is shortened to just 30 minutes.
Dr. Teresa Sanchez, the hospital’s chief, highlighted that the center is equipped with 15 dialysis machines. Patients can utilize their Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) accounts, benefiting from the ‘no balance billing’ policy, which ensures no out-of-pocket expenses. For those whose insurance does not cover the full cost, the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patient (MAIFIP) program is available to help cover treatment costs.
To ensure the smooth operation of the dialysis center, around 50 medical and allied professionals from 14 provincial government-run hospitals received intensive training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). Additionally, under the PhilHealth policy, patients availing of the hemodialysis package receive free drugs, medicines, laboratory tests, supplies, and other administrative fees.