Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said Friday  children suffering from various liver diseases will no longer go abroad for liver transplant after a Memorandum of Agreement to perform the procedure in the country was signed in Malacañang on Wednesday.

During an interview with DZRH, Go said last year, he and President Rodrigo Duterte joined in efforts to help babies with biliary atresia undergo liver transplant in India.

Go was referring to Eren Arabella Crisologo from Butuan City and Dionifer Zephaniah Itao from Cebu.

In June 2019, both babies Eren and Dionifer had flown together with their parents to Apollo Hospital in India for the  operation.

In 2018, Go met Xia Kazumi Ngo from Taguig City who was then suffering from biliary atresia.  She underwent medical procedure in India and is in healthier state now.

Under the MOA, which the Department of Health (DOH) signed with the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) and The Medical City (TMC), a consortium will be formed where the government hospital will identify qualified patients for the procedure, the private hospital will perform the transplants and the DOH will reimburse the expenses through the PCMC.

Considered to be the most feasible immediate solution, the consortium takes advantage of an existing partnership between the PCMC and TMC and will last until National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) is capable of solely performing pediatric and adult living donor liver transplantation.

Go also shared that the government plans to acquire equipment for and developing the facilities of NKTI and sending its specialist staff to Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan for training. This serves as part of the program’s long-term solution.

The government will spend P58.1 million for the equipment that NKTI needs and P1.3 million for a batch of twelve specialists who will be trained for one to two months in Taiwan. Each specialist will have to serve at NKTI for two years in exchange for the training.

Go also said that children with liver disease are the primary beneficiaries of the program in the meantime.

Asked if the treatment is a 100 percent free, Go said patients may seek help from concerned government agencies.

Based on Go’s previous suggestions, the PCMC will work out a possible assistance arrangement with the DOH through the agency’s Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) Program.

The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) will also map out other sources of assistance and arrange a meeting with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and private partners.

Go said patients can avail themselves of the services of Malasakit Centers, one-stop shops that streamline medical and financial assistance from PhilHealth, DOH, DSWD and PCSO.

Go added that the signing of Executive Order (EO) No. 104 dated February 17, 2020, which regulates the prices of select drugs, including essential medicines most commonly prescribed to patients, will further lessen the medical expenses of Filipinos. DMS

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