The Northern Samar provincial government will build a hemodialysis center in Allen town meant to ease the financial burden of dialysis patients in the province.
The facility is one of the three new dialysis centers that the provincial government intends to operate soon, to adequately respond to the needs of the people especially from the Balicuatro area or the northwestern part of the province, with the other one intended at the Laoang GB Tan Hospital for patients from the Pacific area of the province.
“Currently, the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital is the only public health facility in Northern Samar serving the dialysis requirements of patients, prompting other patients to seek for the procedure in private facilities in the province, and in neighboring Calbayog City and Tacloban City,” the provincial government said in a statement on Friday.
The center will host an average of 10 to 20 dialysis machines and cater to over 4,000 patients monthly.
Former governor and now 2nd District Rep. Edwin Ongchuan led the hemodialysis center groundbreaking on Thursday held at the Allen District Hospital grounds where the provincial government plans to build the facility.
The project is aligned with the priority agenda of the new administration of Governor Harris Ongchuan, which puts premium on health, apart from capacity building and climate resilience, and opportunities, according to the provincial government.
Earlier, the local government announced a partnership with Tres Medica Inc., a private healthcare provider, to establish and expand dialysis centers in the province.
Initially, the partnership seeks to focus in the capital town of Catarman and the towns of Allen and Laoang.
The Northern Samar Provincial Hospital launched its hemodialysis unit on Dec. 7, 2023. As of the second quarter of 2025, the facility serves at least 76 patients, conducting some 760 dialysis procedures, particularly benefitting those unable to afford private treatment.
Currently, there are also two privately managed dialysis centers in Catarman. There are no centers for dialysis patients outside the provincial capital. (PNA)
