VIRAC, Catanduanes – The Eastern Bicol Medical Center (EBMC) in caoital town of Catanduanes will open its own dialysis center next month to provide services for indigent patients.
The Catanduanes provincial government has announced this good news recently. EBMC chief, Dr. Vietriz D. Abella, has confirmed that they have already obtained a license from the Department of Health last January 25 to operate the center.
“The new EMBC dialysis center will house 10 dialysis machines – bringing the island’s total number of public dialysis machines to 16, including the six dialysis machines at the Juan M. Alberto Memorial District Hospital (JMAMDH) in San Andres, Catanduanes operating since 2012,” she said.
With the new facility, indigent patients who need to undergo dialysis may avail of the procedure at a much lower price compared to those offered in private hospitals, which usually ranges from PP3,000 to P6,000 per session.
Patients certified as indigents by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and those listed under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), may avail of the service for free.