A total of 450 kidney patients being treated in a public hospital in Pampanga received medical assistance from the offices of Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano on Thursday, December 7, 2023.
The senators’ Tulong-Medikal team visited Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) in the City of San Fernando to cater to patients battling chronic kidney disease, with some having progressed to the dialysis stage.
The beneficiaries, who came from various cities and municipalities in Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Zambales, and Bataan, were given guarantee letters that they can use for their dialysis and other medical procedures, laboratory examinations, medications, and other hospital fees.
Among them was Cristina Mago, a resident of Mexico, Pampanga whose husband Edwin has stage 5 chronic kidney disease and has been undergoing dialysis sessions for more than seven years.
She said she was thankful for the assistance she received from the Tulong-Medikal team, calling it a “huge help” for someone like her who had to give up working to take care of her seriously ill husband.
“Nag-aaral pa po y’ung mga anak ko kaya sobrang hirap po talaga. Gusto ko man pong magtrabaho, hindi po ako makapagtrabaho kasi nga po may sakit po ang asawa ko at hindi ko maiwanan,” she said.
Magdalena Magtoto, a resident of Subic, Zambales also received help for the dialysis of her sister Joycelyn who was diagnosed with kidney stone in 2022.
“Y’ung P10K [worth] po na guarantee letter malaking tulong po iyon. Mapupunta po iyan sa pambili namin ng mga gamot at dialyzer na gagamitin namin sa dialysis ng ate ko,” she said.
Magtoto said her sister also needs to undergo an operation soon as the stone in her kidney has grown to five centimeters.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami kasi every three months siguradong may matatanggap po kami ulit na guarantee letter mula kay Senator Alan at Senator Pia,” she said.
In addition to providing medical assistance, the Tulong-Medikal team distributed food packs to 200 patients in JBLMGH’s pediatric ward.
Some Aeta patients admitted to the DOH-Level 3 hospital also received grocery packs from the team.
The whole-day activity is part of the Bayanihan Caravan initiative of the two senators in which they collaborate with local government units and national agencies to deliver various forms of aid to Filipinos, especially those who are underprivileged.
