Robin Bills, Magpapatayo ng Regional Heart Centers, Kidney and Transplant Institutes sa Bansa

Para matiyak na makakakuha ng sapat na paggamot sa puso at bato (kidney) ang mga Pilipino sa malalayong lugar - lalo na ang mga mahihirap, naghain si Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla ng panukalang batas na magpapatayo ng mga Regional Heart Center (RHC) at Regional Kidney Transplant Institutes (RKTI) sa bansa.

Sa Senate Bill 1361 na magpapatayo ng RHCs, ipinunto ni Padilla na ang mga pasyente sa mga probinsya ay nahihirapang makakuha ng mataas na antas ng cardiac care dahil ang nag-iisang specialty hospital, ang Philippine Heart Center, ay nasa Maynila.

"Filipinos living near the metropolis have a greater advantage in accessing specialized care from the Philippine Heart Center. Meanwhile, patients coming from rural provinces are to some extent deprived of the same quality of cardiac care that the specialty hospital provides. They also have to spend a fortune to travel to Manila for the treatment of complex cardiovascular cases," ani Padilla.

"It is in this regard that this bill aims to create one Regional Heart Center in each of the administrative regions in the country to ensure that equal access and privilege to avail of specialized and quality cardiac care is extended to a larger population of Filipinos," dagdag niya.

Ayon din kay Padilla, ang sakit sa puso ay nananatiling nangungunang dahilan ng kamatayan sa Pilipinas - nitong 2020, tinatayang 150,000 ang namatay dahil dito.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, itatayo sa bawa't rehiyon ang Regional Heart Center na may sapat na cardiac care equipment at medical supplies, at may professional heart specialists. Titiyakin ng mga RHC ang abot-kaya na paggamot sa mga maralita.

Kasama sa mga tungkulin ng mga RHC ang pananaliksik para mapigilan ang cardiovascular diseases; pagsulong ng public awareness sa isyu; at pagsasanay ng physicians, nurses, medtechs, health officers at social workers.

"The creation of these Regional Heart Centers will not only unburden the Philippine Heart Center located in the National Capital Region but will also improve the access of patients from provinces to avail of immediate and affordable cardiac care. This is to achieve our ultimate goal of lowering the deaths associated with heart diseases in the long run," ayon kay Padilla.

Samantala, sa Senate Bill 1362 na magtatayo ng RKTIs, ipinunto ni Padilla na isang Pilipino ang namamatay kada oras dahil sa kidney failure - higit 7,000 kaso ng kidney failure ang naitatala kada taon. Pataas din ang trend ng kaso ng kidney diseases base sa benefit claims sa Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) para sa dialysis sessions na umabot sa P14 bilyon sa 2021 kumpara sa P6.3 bilyon noong 2015.

Ayon sa kanya, dagdag na gastos at oras ang haharapin ng mga nasa probinsya dahil ang National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) na nag-iisang specialty institute ay nasa Metro Manila - kung kaya't isinusulong ng Senate Bill 1362 ang pagtayo ng RKTIs.

Kasama sa mga tungkulin ng mga RKTI ang pananaliksik para mapigilan ang kidney diseases; pagsulong ng public awareness sa isyu; at pagsasanay ng physicians, nurses, medtechs, health officers at social workers.

"The creation of RKTI will also unburden the patients from the provinces of the additional costs associated with long-distance travel. The same resources can be used for their other basic needs to sustain life. It is envisioned that by bringing specialized kidney care services closer to patients, more lives will eventually be saved," aniya.

Robin Bills Aim to Set Up Regional Heart Centers, Kidney and Transplant Institutes Nationwide

To ensure Filipinos in remote areas - especially the poor - get adequate treatment for heart diseases, Sen. Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla has filed bills that would set up Regional Heart Centers (RHCs) and Regional Kidney and Transplant Institutes (RKTIs) nationwide.

In Senate Bill 1361 that aims to set up RHCs, Padilla noted patients from outside Metro Manila have a hard time getting quality cardiac care because the only specialty hospital, the Philippine Heart Center, is in Metro Manila.

"Filipinos living near the metropolis have a greater advantage in accessing specialized care from the Philippine Heart Center. Meanwhile, patients coming from rural provinces are to some extent deprived of the same quality of cardiac care that the specialty hospital provides. They also have to spend a fortune to travel to Manila for the treatment of complex cardiovascular cases," said Padilla.

"It is in this regard that this bill aims to create one Regional Heart Center in each of the administrative regions in the country to ensure that equal access and privilege to avail of specialized and quality cardiac care is extended to a larger population of Filipinos," he added.

Padilla noted heart disease is a leading cause of death in the Philippines - in 2020, at least 150,000 Filipinos have died from heart diseases.

Under the bill, an RHC shall be set up in each region, with sufficient cardiac care equipment and medical supplies, and with professional heart specialists. The RHCs shall ensure treatment that is affordable to indigents.

Among the functions of the RHCs are research to prevent cardiovascular diseases; promoting public awareness on the issue; and the training of physicians, nurses, medtechs, health officers and social workers.

"The creation of these Regional Heart Centers will not only unburden the Philippine Heart Center located in the National Capital Region but will also improve the access of patients from provinces to avail of immediate and affordable cardiac care. This is to achieve our ultimate goal of lowering the deaths associated with heart diseases in the long run," said Padilla.

On the other hand, Padilla's Senate Bill 1362 that seeks to set up RKTIs noted DOH figures show one Filipino dies every hour from kidney failure, with more than 7,000 cases of kidney failure recorded in the country every year - with an increasing trend in the incidence of kidney diseases as shown by the benefit claims from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for dialysis sessions, reaching P14 billion in 2021 compared to P6.3 billion in 2015.

He said patients in the provinces need to spend more time and money to seek treatment because the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the only specialty institute, is in Metro Manila. This is why Padilla filed Senate Bill 1362 to set up RKTIs.

Under the bill, RKTIs are to undertake functions including research on preventing kidney diseases; promoting public awareness on the issue; and training physicians, nurses, medtechs, health officers and social workers.

"The creation of RKTI will also unburden the patients from the provinces of the additional costs associated with long-distance travel. The same resources can be used for their other basic needs to sustain life. It is envisioned that by bringing specialized kidney care services closer to patients, more lives will eventually be saved," Padilla said.