MEXICO, Pampanga — A hemodialysis center is now open at the Mexico Community Hospital (MCH) in Barangay San Carlos here.
Mayor Teddy C. Tumang on Thursday led the blessing and inauguration of the new facility, which, along with its equipment and machines, was built at the cost of close to PHP70 million.
Dr. Hilario James Cunanan, MCH chief of hospital, said that 24 units of hemodialysis machines are installed and ready to be used after the screening of patients on Monday.
Meanwhile, Tumang said the hemodialysis building was constructed on a 2,000 square-meter lot within the MCH compound.
The construction and purchase of equipment were funded by the local government unit of Mexico, including an augmentation of PHP32 million from projected business taxes that SM Primeholdings Inc. stands to pay to the municipal government.
“The center will cater to residents and non-residents of Mexico who are seeking free or affordable hemodialysis treatment,” the mayor said.
During the inauguration, patients coming from as far as Arayat town came, hoping to be the first to avail of the free dialysis treatment from Pampanga’s largest and most modern hemodialysis center in the province to date.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) covers PHP2,500 of the cost per session, including payment for the use of the facilities and professional fees of attending physicians. This will last up to the first 90 sessions.
With Philhealth absorbing some of the cost, patients in other hemodialysis centers still have to pay close to PHP3,000 for the dialyzer and the required injectable medicine, epoetin alfa, that goes with the hemodialysis treatment.
At the MCH hemodialysis center, however, Mexico residents are given free dialyzers and only required to pay the injectable medicine at the cost of PHP300.
In-patient, non-residents of Mexico, on the other hand, have to pay half of the purchase price of the dialyzer plus PHP300 for the injectable medicine.
Tumang said a donor, whom he declined to name, purchased the injectable medicines, an epoetin alfa drug with the brand name Epocino, for PHP300 and passed it on to the MCH for the same price.
The cost of injectable medicines, even those that are not considered top-of-the-line, ranges from P750 to P900 in other hospitals.
The prevailing price of dialyzers is from PHP1,800 to PHP2,000 but Tumang said they managed to purchase the best brand of dialyzers at PHP1,300 each.
“And these dialyzers and injectables are not of the cheap brands. We made sure that we will only be giving the best brands for the patients,” he said.
Tumang said the PHP300 fee for the injectable is required to ensure steady replenishment of the drug for other patients to avail.
Vice Governor Dennis Pineda, currently the acting governor, said he will look for funds from the provincial capitol coffers to help patients in their expenses after the first 90 sessions covered by Philhealth. (Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario/PNA)
