ORMOC CITY – The eagerly awaited Fresenius Kidney Care – Ormoc Dialysis Clinic at the Ormoc Diagnostic and Treatment (ODT) Center located in Barangay San Pablo was formally launched, blessed, and had its ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 13, 2025.
The said launching was led by the city officials headed by Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez and Care Delivery Managing Director Marielle Aguirre. The said clinic is kitted out with 20 stations of Fresenius 4008S machines, which can serve around 100 patients daily. Accordingly, a patient will undergo four hours of dialysis per session.
During the said event, Mayor Lucy expressed gratitude to Fresenius for the equipment and for beautifying the clinic. She also hopes to inspire other health providers to give importance to their aesthetics. “Hope your entry will also inspire other health providers to take care of aesthetics when they build their own clinics,” she stressed.
Mayor Lucy also stated that any person who has a dialysis session is something not to be happy about, but at least in their discomfort, in their worry, and in their anxiety, the patient’s healing will also speed up if they get a treatment that is clean, bright, and with efficient service.
On the other hand, Sangguniang Panlungsod Member (SPM) Dr. Edmund Kierulf shared during his speech that the plan of having a Dialysis Treatment Facility in Ormoc City is an initiative of former mayor and now Leyte 4th District Representative Richard I. Gomez and City Administrator Vincent Emnas in 2019 during the Gomez administration; and of the three applicants, LGU-Ormoc chose Fresenius. Unfortunately, he shared, due to COVID-19, the plan was put to a temporary rest.
The LGU-Ormoc reconnected with Fresenius in 2023, and a lease contract was signed by the mayor and Fresenius in December 2024, which led to the commencement of the construction and retrofitting of said clinic. According to Councilor Kierulf, PhilHealth is going to finance it; however, there are things that the patient might need that will not be covered by PhilHealth, so Mayor Lucy, together with the Ormoc Development Team (ODT), promised to subsidize whatever expense the patient will be encountering during the treatment.
Eligible patients may receive dialysis therapy for free under PhilHealth Circular 2023-0014 under the minimal standard benefit package; however, services beyond that coverage may necessitate out-of-pocket expenses or outside funding. The said clinic is also planning to assist patients coming from the neighboring municipalities, particularly in Leyte Fourth District.
Meanwhile, Director Aguirre said that it is about the people and families that Fresenius serves. “In Fresenius Kidney Care, our patients are the heart of everything we do,” she emphasized. “We pledge to provide holistic, high-quality dialysis treatment, exceptional care, and personalized patient-centered service,” added Aguirre. “This clinic represents a beacon of hope to our dedication to improving the lives of those living with kidney disease,” she said. Official operations of the new facility are scheduled to start in May 2025. (By Gwen Maurillo / EV Mail March 10-16, 2025 issue)
