(Dialysis machines/file photo)
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — San Juan City residents now have access to free Urine Albumin Creatinine Ratio (UACR) test as part of chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening and prevention after the launch of the ACT NOW (Addressing Complications Today through Network of Warriors) for CKD program in the city.
The ACT NOW for CKD program donated 20,000 early screening kits, a medical program worth P40 million, and a machine valued at P135,000 that will help detect the symptoms of CKD.
The program is made possible through the support of the Diabetes Philippines Association, Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators, Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators of the Philippines, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Dialysis PH Support Group, and the Kidney Transplant Association of the Philippines to provide a holistic approach in combating the disease as one of the top complications of diabetes and hypertension.
“So malaking tulong po ito para sa atin at ito ay bahagi ng ating programang pangkasalugan para sa Makabagong San Juan sapagkat ang gusto po natin na ang lahat ng San Juañeno ay malakas at malusog,” said San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora in a statement sent to PIA-NCR.
(Translation: This is a big help for us and this is also part of our health program towards a Makabagong San Juan. We hope for a healthy and strong resident of San Juan.)
Tina Marasigan, a spokesperson for the ACTNOW-CKD program, hopes to decrease the number of Filipinos undergoing dialysis through this initiative.
“P17.3 billion ang ginagastos ng PhilHealth para matulungan ang pagda-dialysis ng mga pasyenteng may sakit sa bato at ito ang iniiwasan natin na lumobo pa,” Marasigan said.
(Translation: PhilHealth spends around P17.3 billion to help dialysis patients with kidney disease and this is what we wish to prevent from increasing further.)
According to Astrazeneca Philippines Medical Director Dr. Cyril Joseph Tolosa, industry data showed that one Filipino develops CKD every 45 minutes and one Filipino CKD patient progresses to dialysis every hour.
“One in every 45 minutes nagkakaroon ng chronic kidney disease, and one in one hour nagkakaroon ng dialysis,” Tolosa said.
He said it is important to have a regular check up of your kidneys at least once a year.
“Importanteng malaman natin ang sitwasyon ng ating bato, lalo na sa mga may diabetes o hypertension dahil kapag may sintomas na hindi na mahahabol and it will progress to dialysis,” he added.
(Translation: It is important to know the status of our kidneys especially to patients with diabetes and hypertension because once the symptoms appear it will immediately progress to dialysis.)
The program was also rolled out in Pasig, Mandaluyong, Baguio, San Fernando (La Union), and Pampanga.
For now, the program is exclusive in certain areas, however, other local government units can contact the organizations mentioned in the story for more information about the program, or visit the San Juan City Health Department Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sanjuanchd. (PIO/PIA-NCR)
