CAREGIVERS. Mayor Pamintuan pep talks Jerry Tinio of Barangay Pandan, the first patient at the newly opened renal care unit.
Joining the mayor are San Fernando Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, barangay chair Jerry Aljandrino and Councilors Dan Lacson and Alex Indiongco. Photo by Bong Z. Lacson
ANGELES CITY – “The number of Kidney-related cases in this city is alarming.”
This was disclosed by Internist Dr. Ramon Jose Suarez during the opening of the renal care clinic (dialysis center) here on Saturday.
Suarez, head of the first city dialysis center in the country, said that out of the 8,000 cases of kidney-related diseases nationwide, at least 300 cases are in Angeles.
“The number is alarming considering we host a relatively high portion among the total victims. The 300 cases exclude the number of victims in Pampanga,” Suarez said.
The renal care clinic offers various services and treatments for people suffering from kidney disorders. It is manned by three nephrologists, a head nurse, eight staff nurse and four technicians.
Mayor Edgardo “Ed” Pamintuan said that the renal care unit is first among the 138 cities in the country (as of February 2011). He led the opening of the dialysis center at the compound of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center or RLMMC (popularly known as Ospital Ning Angeles [ONA]).
“We are proud to become the first city to have a dialysis center,” he said.
Pamintuan said kidney-related diseases are expensive to treat but “the city government makes it affordable through the renal care center.”
In his speech, Pamintuan thanked George Samson, president and CEO of World Medical Relief (WMR), and Jesus Eres for “the creation of the facility beneficial to the poor.” Eres, who is based in the USA, is a long-time friend of Mayor Pamintuan.
He also thanked the officers and members of the Angeles City Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce for funding the construction of the renal care unit.
“I have always thought of a dialysis center in our city for affordable dialysis treatment,” Pamintuan said, as he cited the case of constituent Jerry Tinio, 71, who has long been battling a kidney illness.
Tinio’s family used to spend around P5,000 to P7,000 per week for the dialysis treatment alone but would not spend less at the new renal center, he noted.
The mayor also announced that they allotted P20 million for the complete rehabilitation of ONA named after the father of Pampanga First District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin.
The city government has already started using part of the loan made by the previous administration supposedly for the construction of a sports complex to fund the renovation and improvement of RLMMC’s equipment and facilities.
“Rather than a sports complex, we renegotiated with the bank that provided the loan, and they readily agreed to use the proceeds of the P600 million facility for the hospital and for a city college that we intend to build,” Pamintuan added.
BIG DISCOUNTS
RLMMC Director Dr. Antonio Dizon said there will be three different discounts offered to residents of the 33 barangays here.
Dizon said a dialysis treatment costs about P1,800 per session and the poorest of the poor will be given 75 percent discount per session. He added that Class 2 will be given a 50 percent discount, while Class 3 is entitled to 25 percent.
He said other people outside of this city could also avail of discounts.
Pamintuan said his administration and the provincial government led by Gov. Lilia Pineda have partnered “in various projects on health and anti-illegal drugs campaigns.”
TRUE TO HIS WORD
Councilor Alex Indiongco, chairman of the committee on health, said the renal care center is part of the campaign promise of Pamintuan stated in the “Contract with Angelenos”.
He and three others – Councilors Edu Pamintuan, Maricel Morales and Jericho Aguas – are part of the new bloc in the city council dubbed “PAMI-tastic 4,” which supports the mayor’s projects beneficial to their constituents.
Indiongco said Pamintuan had set up the renal care unit “with sheer passion and determination to serve.”
“It’s not all talk but action. Nearby the hospital is the site of the Angeles colleges set to be ready next year. It’s also a campaign promise of our mayor, said Indiongo, referring to City College of Angeles, also in Pampang.
Aguas said “education and health” should be given emphasis as they directly affect the majority in the highly urbanized city.
“The best weapon against poverty is by providing education. But one can only study well if he or she has a sound body,” said Aguas.
For her part, Morales said women and children are the first to suffer when parents are sick.” She said the parents’ budget for their children’s education is then used for unexpected hospital expenses.
Morales also said the renal care facility – which can accommodate 14 patients at one time – “definitely helps the pockets cope up with the expensive dialysis treatments.
Councilor Alfie Bonifacio, City Administrator Atty. Dennis Albert Pamintuan, Chief of Staff Alexander Cauguiran and other village chiefs graced the inauguration of the renal care unit. It started with a mass officiated Fr. Pablo Virgilio David of the Holy Rosary Parish Church.
By Joey Pavia and Ding Cervantes
