Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap
Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap provided an update on the construction of the
Super Mega Health Center and the dialysis center, which she hopes to be
completed soon.
She made the revelation during a radio interview over dyTR’s Open Forum
program hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy on Dec. 22, 2023.
The young mayor said that around P20 million of the budget for the Super Mega
Health Center, which also includes the dialysis center, comes from the coffers of
the city government, and the national government provided a budget of P53
million.
Moreover, she added that the budget for the project coming from the national
government has already been downloaded to the local government unit (LGU) of
Tagbilaran.
Furthermore, she said that she expects around P60 million in additional funding
from the national government to come next year to be used for the said medical
facilities in the city.
The Super Mega Health Center, which will soon rise in barangay Dao, is a
medium-type polyclinic that is bigger than the usual rural health center.
The center will soon provide all basic medical services, such as an outpatient
department, laboratory, x-ray, ultrasound, birthing services, diagnostic, pharmacy,
and emergency services, among others.
Of the said funds from both the LGU and national government, about P17 million
will be used for the construction of the city dialysis center, while P33 million will be
used to procure the complete pieces of equipment for the facility.
The bulk of the pieces of medical equipment needed in a dialysis center are the
dialysis machines themselves. A dialysis machine contains a dialyzer, which acts
as an artificial kidney for those on dialysis. The blood of dialysis patients is
siphoned into the machine to remove toxins and fluids that cause edema.
Then, the filtered blood will be returned to the patient’s body after four hours.
Mayor Yap recognizes the huge costs incurred by dialysis patients and their
families when undergoing treatment.
Without deductions from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth),
each treatment could cost around P3,000 or even more.
Most dialysis patients require three treatment sessions per week, which is too
costly even for middle-income dialysis patients and their families, the mayor said
during the interview.
Aside from the cost of dialysis treatment, dialysis patients also spend around
P600 to P1000 per session for erythropoietin injections to prevent severe anemia.
Mayor Yap said that the city will also have a senior citizen and persons with
disabilities rehabilitation center and wellness center.
The mayor explained the center will provide a place for recreation and
rehabilitation sessions for the elderly and the differently abled, and such a center
will also be located within the vicinity of the Super Mege Health Center.
The lady mayor said the facility will become a one-stop-shop facility for senior
citizens and persons with disabilities who need rehabilitation services or those
who are looking for recreation activities.