TO make specialized kidney care more accessible for citizens in Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez has introduced a bill to establish a branch of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in the House of Representatives.
The proposed legislation, House Bill No. 9104, seeks to allocate P1 billion for the acquisition of land, construction of the hospital, procurement of necessary equipment and furniture, and personnel services.
Rodriguez, the bill's primary author, emphasized the grave need for the new hospital, stating that currently, patients from Mindanao have to travel to Metro Manila to access NKTI's specialized services.
He stressed the importance of bringing these services closer to people in the region, to improve the quality of life for those affected by kidney diseases.
According to NKTI data, kidney diseases, particularly End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), rank as the 7th leading cause of death among Filipinos.
The statistics also reveal that one Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour, equating to around 10,000 Filipinos each year.
Additionally, more than 5,000 Filipino patients are presently undergoing dialysis, and around 1.1 million people worldwide are on renal replacement therapy.
There are about 70,000 patients on dialysis, with thousands on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. However, only 400 can undergo transplantation annually.
The NKTI is currently the only government hospital specializing in renal diseases and organ transplantation.
It also serves as the main referral center for kidney patients from various regional hospitals across the country and leads the nation's voluntary blood services.
The establishment of a new branch in Cagayan de Oro City would mark a significant step forward in the nation's provision of specialized renal care.
