Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada vowed to install 46 new dialysis machines at the Gat. Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center as part of the city government’s move to help hundreds of kidney patients struggling to get free treatment.
“At present, there are 26 dialysis machines at the GABMMC and these would be increased to 72 by the end of 2018, to accommodate hundreds of Manileños afflicted with kidney diseases,” the mayor said during the hospital’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Estrada said he initiated the free dialysis treatment when he was the President of the country, after witnessing hundreds of poor patients trooping all the way to the presidential palace to avail of free dialysis treatments, which led him to establish additional free dialysis centers and expand access to the life-saving treatments.
The cost for each treatment was P2,000 to P2,500, which was hard to shoulder for poor patients, and poses risks to those would not get immediate treatment, he said.
The former President also lauded the doctors, nurses, medical staffs and utility personnel of the GABMMC for their continued help to extend medical assistance to the poor families of Manila.
Estrada said that as mayor, he is now duty bound to give help to the needy.
“I am privileged that I am now in a position to help our hospital achieve its most important mission: To assist and attend to the health needs of our people,” he said.
Estrada also led other activities where more than 500 young boys were circumcised, conducted hand hygiene workshop for kids, “Art by Batang Gat” painting contest, blood letting, free reading glasses, medical and hand cardiopulmonary resuscitation training course and Intravenous therapy workshop for nurses.
He said that GABMMC is close to his heart, because in 1998 when he was elected President 20 years ago that he first visited the hospital.
“I just mentioned this because that year was a very important chapter of my past,” he said.
The mayor said he was proud that majority of Manileños supported his program that lift the city from billions of pesos from debt left behind by his predecessor to achieve his vision of modernizing the city’s hospitals.
“When we attained a debt-free status in 2015, we continued the rehabilitation of Gat Andres,” the Mayor said.
“In addition to the repair of the hospital’s facilities, we also launched the Manila Dialysis center back in December 2014, in partnership with Braun Avitum Philippines,” he added.
Estrada also thanked GABMMC Director Dra. Luisa “Lui” Aquino for her dedication to extend medical assistance to the poorest poor of Manileños.
“Through her initiative, many changes have been made in GABMMC. Changes that impact positively on the quality of our service to all Manileños,” the mayor said.