PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. stressed the need to put up more public dialysis centers in provinces to allow more Filipinos access to this essential service.

Data from the University of the Philippines showed that one person dies of kidney failure every hour. Almost 35,000 Filipinos are undergoing dialysis.

Marcos said that Filipinos should not travel from their provinces to Manila or other urban centers to have dialysis.

“Nakakaawa ang kalagayan ng ating mga dialysis patient, marami sa kanila ang bumibiyahe ng malayo, ng ilang oras para lamang makapagpa-dialysis at gumagastos ng malaki. So, imbes na sana ipambili na ng gamot at bitamina nila ay napupunta pa sa other expenses katulad ng pamasahe o pangungupahan,” he said.

“We need to build more dialysis centers in the provinces para hindi na sila bumiyahe o mangungupahan,” he stressed.

The former senator said that if he wins, dialysis will be free for poor patients.

“Balak din nating gawing libre ‘yung pagda-dialysis, ang mahalaga dito ay maisalba natin sila sa paghihirap at madugtungan natin ‘yung kanilang buhay. Hirap na sila sa buhay, hirap pa magpagamot kaya makikipag-ugnayan tayo sa lokal na pamahalaan at sa mga ahensiya ng gobyerno na responsable sa ganitong sitwasyon,” he said.