Oriental Mindoro province unveiled three free dialysis centers on Friday, improving public access to life-saving treatment for kidney patients in underserved rural areas, Governor Humerlito Dolor announced on Facebook.

The new facilities, located at the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital in Calapan City, the Central District Hospital in Pinamalayan and the Southern District Hospital in Roxas, will provide no-cost hemodialysis sessions to Mindoro residents.

Dolor said two more centers are in the pipeline at the Bulalacao and Naujan community hospitals, with the project stemming from partnerships with private firms including Kulits Drugstore.

“Government capacity and funds may be limited, but this should not hinder us from dreaming of a more convenient and developed province,” Dolor wrote in Tagalog in his Facebook post.

Dialysis machines are critical for patients with end-stage renal disease, performing the kidneys’ function of filtering waste and excess fluids from the blood to prevent fatal complications like uremia.

Without regular sessions (typically three times a week for four hours each), patients face rapid deterioration and death.

Health data revealed that chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 36% of the population, or about 13 million Filipinos, far exceeding the global average of 9-13%.

Access to dialysis remains a major hurdle for many Filipinos, particularly in island provinces like Oriental Mindoro.

Urban centers like Metro Manila (NCR) host a disproportionate share of the country’s roughly 800 hemodialysis facilities, leaving rural patients to endure long, costly travel.

PhilHealth covers up to 90% of dialysis costs.

In remote areas, untreated CKD often leads to higher mortality, as patients skip sessions due to transport barriers or out-of-pocket expenses.

Photo: courtesy of Gov. Bonz Dolor FB page