By Jasper Marie O. Rucat
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) – Dialysis patients now have an easy time in their lives, said Shirley Manlangit, 35, diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5 (CKD5), since 2012, after Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) expanded their hemodialysis package from 90 to 156 sessions.
“Magaan na ‘yung awra nila sa buhay (their aura is light in life),” said Manlangit, referring to dialysis patients as their hemodialysis package increases.
This effectively covers the standard three-times-a-week session of this life-saving treatment needed by a Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5 (CKD5) patient for one year.
Manlangit revealed during an episode of Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas with PhilHealth-10 that she has availed of this lifesaving treatment since 2012. She has been in dialysis for 12 years and nine months because of her chronic kidney disease.
In the past, PhilHealth’s hemodialysis package was just 45 sessions. “It was such a struggle because sessions are so expensive at 4,000 to 5,000 per session, and discounts were only given to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD),” Manlangit said.
When the pandemic struck, PhilHealth’s sessions increased from 90 to 114 for the entire year.
Shirley Manlangit, 35, diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5 since 2012, shares her life journey and how PhilHealth has helped her survive through the years. (Photo: DCC/PIA-10)
“So gumaan na ng gumaan ‘yung buhay namin umaabot na ng September at October yung sessions (So our life was getting easier since the sessions were reaching September and October),” she said.
Manglangit added that before, if someone didn’t have money, they would feel hopeless and just want to give up because they didn’t know where to get the money for hospital bills, doctors, and medicine.
However, according to the most recent PhilHealth circular from 2024, CKD5 patients will have access to a total of 156 dialysis packages, and all dialysis sessions nationwide, whether at private or public hospitals, will be free of charge.
She urged CKD5 patients to not lose hope because the government, through PhilHealth, is ready to help.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth-10 Regional Vice President Delio Aseron II shared that PhilHealth’s support for CKD 5 patients continues. In July of this year, they increased coverage per session by 54 percent from P2,600 to P4,000, for a total of P624,000 from P405,600 per year per patient.
“In our aim to rationalize benefit packages that will truly matter to our kababayans (fellow citizens), we have focused on certain conditions that are of high burden and could lead to catastrophic spending for the patients and even to their families,” Aseron said. (JMOR/PIA-10)
