In Payatas, Bong Go and Malasakit Center initiative eases the struggle of a mother with kidney disease
September 21, 2024
In Payatas, Bong Go and Malasakit Center initiative eases the struggle of a mother with kidney disease
Life in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, has always been challenging for Vilma Balayo and her family. A mother of six, Vilma had long faced the daily struggles of raising her children amid various economic challenges. But nothing could have prepared her for the life-altering news she received -- she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, stage 5, a condition that would soon change everything for her and her family.
The once vibrant and active mother found herself bedridden, unable to perform even the simplest of tasks.
"Isang linggo po ako sa bahay, nakahiga. Hindi ako makatulog, suka ako nang suka," she recalled. Her condition rapidly worsened, with her family noticing her extreme weakness and paleness.
One day, when her symptoms became unbearable, her family made the decision to call for an ambulance. The barangay personnel responded swiftly, rushing her to a nearby hospital. After several tests, Vilma was transferred to East Avenue Medical Center, where she would finally understand the full extent of her illness.
The doctors informed her that her creatinine levels were alarmingly high, leaving her no other option but to undergo dialysis immediately.
With six children and mounting medical bills, the Balayo family was running out of options. But just when they felt like they were sinking, help arrived in an unexpected form -- through Senator Christopher "Bong" Go and his Malasakit Center initiative.
Vilma vividly remembered the relief she felt when they were admitted to East Avenue Medical Center, and despite her initial fears, she walked out of the hospital with nothing to pay.
"'Yung na-admit ako, wala po kami binayaran. Zero balance po kami," she said. Through the Malasakit Center, her dialysis sessions and other medical expenses were covered, alleviating the crushing financial burden that had weighed on her family.
Malasakit Centers are one-stop shops aiming to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program.
As of now, 166 Malasakit Centers are operational across the country, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The DOH reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to nearly 12 million Filipinos.
Go has also filed Senate Bill No. 190, known as the "Free Dialysis Act of 2022." If approved, this bill will require PhilHealth to develop and institutionalize a comprehensive dialysis benefit package that shall fully cover all costs of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis treatments, sessions, and procedures done in PhilHealth-accredited health facilities. This will be a significant step in further easing the burden on families like Vilma's.
The impact of the Malasakit Center's assistance goes beyond the financial help. For Vilma, it was about the emotional and moral support she received from the representatives who visited her in Payatas, even in her most vulnerable moments.
"Sa tagal na po namin dito nakatira sa Payatas, wala po nagbahay-bahay na ganito na pasukin po kami ng staff n'yo," she said referring to when Go's Malasakit Team visited her in their home.
Go, for his part, simply expressed his deep commitment to helping Filipinos like Vilma. Known as Mr. Malasakit, he often stresses, "Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo 'yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo 'yan kay Allah."
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