BY: VALERIE ANN DISMAYA
Three times a week, 49-year-old Rogelio from Barangay Oraan East, Manaoag, Pangasinan undergoes dialysis.
After being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, Rogelio was forced to stop working.
At first, he thought the pain he was experiencing was just an ordinary body ache.
To continue his dialysis, he needed an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), which costs thousands of pesos.
That’s why it was a great relief when the Pangasinan provincial government, in partnership with Sacred Heart Hospital in Urdaneta City, covered the cost.
Rogelio is just one of the 38 patients who continue to receive assistance from the provincial government.
Under the agreement between the Pangasinan provincial government and Sacred Heart Hospital, the provincial government covers the 15,000-peso cost of catheters per patient, while public hospitals shoulder the dialysis procedure itself.
Through this initiative, patients are not only given physical relief but also hope that they can continue living with dignity, without the burden of overwhelming medical expenses.
For Pangasinenses who continue fighting their illness, one thing is clear…
They are not alone in their battle because the provincial government stands by them, ready to support their treatment and recovery.
