For a family that earns PHP200 daily from peddling food, it is impossible for any of its members to get dialysis treatment without the government covering the full cost.
Such is the case of Jimmy Ebajo, 40, a resident of Larrazabal village in Naval, Biliran, who is required by doctors to get dialysis treatment twice a week due to chronic kidney disease (CKD) caused by untreated high creatinine levels.
In the past 11 months, he has been taking a three-hour trip to get dialysis treatment at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) in this city, accompanied by his wife, Jessa, 35.
“Since there are no more slots at the Biliran Provincial Hospital, we must travel three hours from Naval to Tacloban twice a week. The travel is inconvenient, but we are happy that we don’t pay any single centavo to get the treatment,” Jessa told the Philippine News Agency.
Jessa earns PHP200 daily from selling banana cues on the streets of Naval town. The family’s income significantly dropped after the illness forced Jimmy to quit the job as a tricycle driver last year.
“Without help from the government, there’s no way for my husband to get treatment since we are poor. The benefit helped ease our financial burdens and improve our access to essential healthcare,” she said.
The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has significantly expanded the government’s health benefit packages through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), marking one of the most proactive efforts to enhance public healthcare coverage.
Under Marcos’ directive, PhilHealth has enhanced the benefits for members with CKD stage 5. These improvements include increasing the maximum number of hemodialysis sessions from 90 to 156 a year, which is equivalent to PHP990,600 under the new rate of PHP6,350 from the previous PHP4,000 per session.
There is also increased coverage for peritoneal dialysis up to PHP1.2 million and increased coverage for kidney transplantation from PHP600,000 to PHP2 million under the Z benefits package.
PhilHealth’s enhanced coverage now includes essential support for patients, such as drugs and medicines for anemia management and anticoagulation, laboratory tests, medical supplies, and administrative costs, ensuring patients receive the care they need without financial hardship.
The cost of transportation from Naval town to Tacloban City for the Ebajo couple is shouldered by the Biliran provincial government.
Dr. Maria Alma Eclipse, head of the EVMC Internal Medicine Department, said the number of CKD stage 5 patients seeking treatment at the regional hospital has been increasing due to the rising number of people experiencing renal failure and the expansion of its center with 30 dialysis machines, which is double what EVMC had from 2018 to late 2024.
“From January to June 2025, our center catered 7,890 hemodialysis sessions, higher than the 5,536 sessions recorded in the first half of 2024. This is mainly because of untreated diabetes and hypertension,” Eclipse told the PNA.
In the first six months of the year, EVMC catered to 734 CKD outpatients and admitted 443 others.
Dr. Johann Roselo Jaya, head of the EVMC dialysis center, said the hospital does not just treat patients from Leyte but also those seeking medical care from the region’s five other provinces.
“We really want to see more dialysis centers in the province because we found out that even if dialysis treatment is free, many patients don’t avail themselves of it since they cannot afford to travel to hospitals,” Jaya said.
The Philippine Society of Nephrology urged individuals to prioritize kidney health, as while CKD can be managed, there is no complete cure through medications.
To prevent kidney disease, nephrologists remind the public to seek early consultation, practice a healthy diet, have regular water intake, and do physical activities. (PNA)