ACCREDITED. The Department of Health accredits the Kidney Transplant facility of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center on April 4, 2022. Dr. Virginia Mangati, adult nephrologist and head of the Hemodialysis Center of the hospital, on Wednesday (April 27, 2022) said the accreditation will not only bring the transplant center closer to the patients in Baguio City and other parts of the region but will also cut the cost of the procedure and the attached expenses. (PNA photo from the FB post of the BGHMC)
BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) has accredited the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) Kidney Transplant facility, a doctor said.
In a press conference on Wednesday at the DOH-Cordillera regional training center, Dr. Virginia Mangati, adult nephrologist and chief of the Hemodialysis center, said they received the accreditation on April 4.
BGHMC, a DOH-run tertiary hospital, caters to patients from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) including Regions 1, 2, and 3.
Data provided to the media shows 146 renal disease patients undergo hemodialysis treatment once to three times a week at the BGHMC dialysis center.
“With the center at BGH[MC], lumapit na ang kidney transplant center na sa mga taga dito sa atin na dati sa Metro Manila pa sila pumupunta. Dahil mas malapit na, mas magiging mura na rin ang operation (the kidney transplant center has become closer to those from here which before, patients still need to go to Metro Manila). Because it is nearer, having the transplant will also become cheaper),” the doctor said.
She said that a patient needs at least PHP1.2 million for the procedure and about half of it is shouldered under the Z-package of the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth).
She added they must at least have PHP200,000 for a six-month medication, which is a requirement after a procedure.
The doctor explained that for renal disease patients, dialysis treatment is just a temporary remedy as everyone ultimately hopes to get a transplant.
The doctor mentioned that after the accreditation, 10 patients have expressed interest to receive a transplant while six have inquired about it.
The doctor said that in the process of receiving a kidney transplant, a patient needs to undergo several procedures, tests, and assessments that start from the pre-transplant to post-transplant.
She said, “work-up for potential transplant includes an orientation for the donor and the recipient, signing of consent, and tissue typing.”
Mangati said that also part of the process is ensuring that the donor is a voluntary donor and not a paid donor that will redound to human trafficking.
“We need to do a lot of tests and this will entail a constant return to the center before, during, and after the procedure,” Mangati added.
The kidney transplant center is one of the many developments and specialty centers that the BGHMC is having. Also in the process of development are a trauma center, heart center, and other specialty medical services. (PNA)
