Posts
His
Excellency Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III
President
of the Republic of the Philippines
Malacañang
Palace
J.P.
Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila 1005
Dear Mr. President,
According to a 2012 report, at least one Filipino dies every
hour of kidney failure making it the number nine killer of Filipinos. And this
number is expected to increase.
Quoting Neal Cruz in a 2010 Inquirer article, patients in
end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure “…is actually a permanent disability
worse than losing an arm or a leg because
you can survive indefinitely without an arm and a leg but you cannot survive
with failed kidneys.” It is to be noted that
in other countries like Japan or Australia, their government pays for dialysis
treatments as they consider kidney failure a permanent disability.
Surviving kidney disease patients continue to live because of
either kidney transplant (which only few appear to avail of despite the
Philhealth Z package) or dialysis (which appears to be chosen by the majority
of these patients). For the year 2010, around 14,000 Filipinos are undergoing
dialysis. However many other patients have also died because of inadequate or
lack of dialysis treatments.
A patient undergoing hemodialysis in order to live will have
to spend roughly six thousand pesos (P6,000.00) or higher per session for
hemodialysis, dialyzer and erythropoietin injections. The estimate does not
include yet blood transfusions some patients undergo during hemodialysis on top
of the medications they are already having. This cost is tripled taking note of
the optimum standard frequency of dialysis treatments of three times a week. Thus,
patients resort to cost-cutting measures like dialyzer re-use, skipping
erythropoietin injections and even skipping hemodialysis sessions compromising
not just their health but their life.
It is clear that because of the lack of financial resources,
only very few can actually afford thrice-a-week dialysis without financial
help. Dialysis patients are thankful of the 45-free sessions given through
Philhealth which is equivalent to a once-a-week dialysis. But given the
function of healthy kidneys removing toxins in the body in a 24/7 basis, a
once-a-week dialysis is not enough to sustain life.
With the landmark decision by the Supreme Court declaring the
pork barrel as unconstitutional, funds that were allotted before to the
lawmakers’ pork barrel will now be available. To recall, some of the
beneficiaries of these pork barrel funds are hemodialysis patients who now have
to look for alternative sources of assistance. With this development, may we
humbly request that a certain amount be given to Philhealth to increase the
number of free dialysis sessions to 100 (equivalent to twice-a-week dialysis
sessions)?
If
Philhealth can subsidize P600,000 to patients who will
undergo kidney transplant, why not increase the no. of free sessions to
patients undergoing dialysis enough to be able to have at least twice-a-week
dialysis sessions? This will benefit more kidney failure patients increasing
their chances to have adequate dialysis. In turn, those who are able to have
adequate dialysis will continue to be productive despite their condition.
An increase in free dialysis sessions will
certainly be welcomed by hemodialysis patients who badly need any assistance
they could get and will be consistent with the government’s target of universal
health care. Giving a budget for this directly through Philhealth will make it
less prone to corruption.
As our President, we the undersigned are counting
on your support to help the increasing number of hemodialysis patients throughout the country to have a chance at life. Please help us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Narciso Tapia, MHPEd
President, Smiling
Kidneys Club (a kidney and hemodialysis patients support group based in Cebu)
Hemodialysis Patient
Sign the online petition with the same content as above by clicking http://chn.ge/1lCmn6u then share to others. Thank you.
#PhilHealth #DOHphilippines #hemodialysis
