[Trending Now] Senator Angara Urges Senate to Support Bill to Make Dialysis More Accessible and Affordable

“Some patients have died without being given a chance to undergo dialysis simply because they could not afford it.”

These are just some of the chilling words that Senator Sonny Angara said as he pushed his fellow lawmen to support his bill, Senate Bill No. 1329.

If passed, the law will require every government hospital to provide a dialysis ward/unit that will give indigent patients the dialysis they need, free of charge.

“The optimum frequency of dialysis is three times a week, but because of its high cost and inaccessibility, some patients settle with less, thus causing their health to deteriorate more progressively“, said the senator as he explained just what people with this kind of condition are going through.

“The aim of this bill is in consonance with the Constitutional mandate to make health services available to our countrymen at affordable cost. To further improve the delivery of healthcare services to the Filipino people, I call on my colleagues in the Upper Chamber to help and support me with this important legislation,” pleaded Senator Angara.

The senator also said that his sources estimated that in 2015, there were Filipinos aged 20-79 with diabetes.  Additionally, he said that the Department of Health (DOH) reported that there are about 23000 patients who underwent the treatment in 2013, compared to 4000 back in 2004.

The netizens show their support to the cause of the senator:

"My youngest brother died due to kidney failure. It was a financial struggle for us where to outsource money for his dialysis kasi hindi naman kami mayaman. Madaming matutulungan ang batas na ito kapag naipasa."

- Kath Montenegro

"Dapat lang Angara...duty mo yan!

Prevention na rin ang dapat na i-advocate ninyo. Sa atin naman disiplina sa pagkain. Avoid artificial seasonings/flavors. Sa palagay ninyo...Bakit kaya nagsulputan ang mga dialysis centers na parang e-load lang? Dahil na rin sa kinakain at sobrang kain. Di lahat ng masarap ay healthy."

- Edwin Mariano

"Dapat isulong agad ang panukalang yan, d lang sa dialysis kundi para sa lahat.kasi kinikinita ko na mahihirap ang tinatamaan dahil walang pera na pang follow up check up.hope and pray na matupad ito ng gobyerno"

- Espie Arao

"Sana po matupad kc asawa ko dating pasyente ng dialyssis d2 sa lipa batangas 3yrs at 7 months cyang ganun kaso po pumanaw na cya dhl hnde na niya nakayanan na ang hirap sa katawan ang sa akin lang ito ay para din sa mga kababayan kung dinadialyssis salamat po"

- Daisy Pagcaliwangan Garing 

What do you think of Sonny Angara’s mission? Tell us over at the comment section below!

Source: inquirer