Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso led the groundbreaking of a new hemodialysis center on the ground floor of Pedro Gil Residences, an in-city vertical housing project of the Manila city government.
“Today, we, the private sector and your city government, entered into an agreement to bring it closer to the community,” Domagoso said, describing the project as part of the city’s push to embed healthcare services directly within public housing.
“The city currently operates dialysis facilities at the Santa Ana Hospital and the Ospital ng Maynila, and is set to revive a facility in Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center to expand access further.”
The mayor said the city currently operates dialysis facilities at the Santa Ana Hospital and the Ospital ng Maynila, and is set to revive a facility in Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center to expand access further.
He thanked the city’s private partners, along with Manila Health Department (MHD) Director Dr. Grace Padilla and DOH consultant Dr. Paz Corrales, for their role in bringing the project to fruition.
Domagoso spoke bluntly about the financial burden of dialysis on ordinary families, saying the high cost of the procedure has driven many into poverty.
“Mahirap ang dialysis.”
“Mahirap ang dialysis. Ang dialysis procedure, napakarami na naging milyonaryo, dumami na po ang milyonaryo sa pagda-dialysis kasi dati silang bilyonaryo,” he said.
Domagoso said the wealthy can typically afford dialysis treatment, while poorer families bear the heaviest burden, making the new facility’s proximity to residents especially important.
“Kaya maraming salamat sa ating partner, sa national government, ang PhilHealth at DOH, patulong natin sila. Ang national, pribado, lokal, nagsama-sama to deliver services just in your doorstep,” he said.
Domagoso tied the project to his administration’s Minimum Basic Needs or MBN program, which covers housing, education, healthcare, and jobs as the “four pillars” of his city’s development vision.
He also thanked the city council for approving the project a day before the groundbreaking, along with barangay officials, health workers, and city personnel who braved the rain to attend the ceremony.
