00:00 Kyle Terrence Abanto, who has been dreaming of becoming a director for 24 years,
00:07 in his videos, you can see how active and active he is.
00:17 But all of this changed last year when he was diagnosed with stage 5 chronic kidney disease.
00:27 I had symptoms like nausea and the worst experience I had was that I was vomiting and I couldn't eat.
00:37 That's why, from his dream of becoming a director's chair,
00:41 Kyle sat in the dialysis center three times a week.
00:51 I was 24 years old. Of course, when I entered, everything flashed back because before I got sick,
00:59 I was already there. I was a filmmaker, photographer, dancer.
01:03 I was slowly reaching my dream and suddenly, I had a snap.
01:10 I needed to go for dialysis.
01:12 Imagine that, there are 7 million dialysis patients in the Philippines.
01:19 Despite the hardships, Kyle continued to make videos.
01:23 Come on, join me for dialysis.
01:25 In fact, he made a vlog of some of his dialysis journeys.
01:31 In three days, every week of dialysis, I'm running out of strength.
01:38 So, those are my next contents.
01:42 Since I noticed that those who are also doing dialysis are also noticing me.
01:48 What I did is more on dialysis.
01:50 Like the first stage, I was already down and I lost hope.
01:56 They have hope and inspiration to continue their lives.
02:14 In October 2022, Kyle made a vlog of his emergency dialysis where he had to put a tube around his neck.
02:23 It was very hard.
02:25 After his dialysis, his seizures, he fought several times. I thought I would lose my child.
02:33 To make his life better, he needs a kidney donor.
02:42 Kyle has no siblings. His father doesn't match him, so he can't be a donor.
02:47 The only one who can donate a kidney is his mother, Beth.
02:53 Unfortunately, Beth has a heart disease, so she can't be a donor.
02:58 In my whole life, that's the most painful thing I've ever experienced.
03:02 Because I know that what we will face is hard.
03:05 When he put a tube around his neck, that's the beginning.
03:08 I know the struggle that is hard.
03:11 [Music]
03:14 Until there is no donor, Kyle will continue his dialysis.
03:19 Aside from the physical pain, he also has a stomachache due to the stones.
03:24 Even though he is free from several sessions of hemodialysis due to PhilHealth,
03:28 Kyle still spends more than Php 2,000 per session for medicines and other needs.
03:36 The dialyzer used in each dialysis costs Php 1,000 to Php 1,200.
03:42 Aside from that, he also goes for check-ups, medicines, and laboratories.
03:46 This is for his heart. He has a heart disease.
03:51 This is for his heart.
03:55 This is a phosphorus binder so that he won't have phosphorus in his body
04:03 because he can't filter his kidneys anymore.
04:06 This is Bipolol for his blood pressure.
04:10 This is vitamin B for his veins.
04:14 I heard that in dialysis, there is no poor and no rich.
04:21 You will be poor in dialysis.
04:24 It's very expensive.
04:27 I can't compute it. His maintenance in one month is around Php 35,000.
04:33 She said it's good enough and there are relatives who help her in her dialysis.
04:40 I can't work because I can't just leave him.
04:44 My family and friends are just helping.
04:47 Due to the increasing number of chronic kidney disease in the Philippines,
04:51 PhilHealth increased the benefit for patients with this kind of disease.
04:57 In the past year, the increase in chronic kidney disease or CKD in the country continued.
05:03 This year, the free hemodialysis session was increased to 156 from the previous 90 sessions per year.
05:12 But the problem is that the accredited dialysis centers, especially in Visayas and Mindanao, are lacking.
05:20 We have 581 accredited free standing dialysis centers or clinics nationwide.
05:29 Around 54% are in Luzon and 21% are in Metro Manila or NCR.
05:36 All over the country, it's not enough. There are areas that are still lacking.
05:42 Some of the provinces have to travel 6 hours to go to a dialysis center.
05:49 And you have to go back. And you do that three times a week. That's hard.
05:55 In the whole of Visayas, there are only 74 PhilHealth accredited dialysis clinics.
06:02 In Mindanao, there are only 65 PhilHealth accredited clinics.
06:07 That's why patients in other provinces still go to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute or NKTI to get treatment.
06:17 [music]
06:19 Like 26-year-old Shirley from the province of Biliran.
06:33 In 2017, Shirley was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease or CKD.
06:39 Where did you get the leg?
06:41 Here in Paalam.
06:44 Yes, and then...
06:46 It's your first time experiencing that?
06:48 Yes.
06:50 As in, it's very hot?
06:52 Yes, when you lie down, it's very hot.
06:55 It's very hot.
06:57 When you go for a test, the doctors there said that it's a chronic kidney disease.
07:07 From Biliran, Shirley has to travel from 3 to 4 hours to Ormoc.
07:14 And sometimes, to Tacloban City, whenever the doctor asks her to come.
07:18 Where else do you go to get treatment?
07:21 Ormoc or Tacloban. But in Ormoc, I go to Tenryu.
07:25 How far is that from Biliran?
07:27 It's a 3 to 4 hour trip.
07:29 So, if a person is sick there, and you need to travel, there are others who can't reach you.
07:36 In the hospital, in Ormoc or Tacloban?
07:39 Yes, because there are diseases that our hospital in Biliran cannot accommodate.
07:46 Because of her illness, Shirley stopped her studies.
07:50 She's a graduating college student now.
07:53 To focus on her treatment, Shirley decided to go to Manila to see the NKTI.
08:02 At that time, Shirley was with her sister who is in Malabon.
08:06 They are the ones who support us.
08:09 If they can't afford it, they ask for financial help from people who are close to us.
08:18 Shirley chose peritoneal dialysis as her type of dialysis.
08:23 Peritoneal dialysis is an option that is given to a patient with a chronic kidney disease
08:30 that uses PD solutions to filter the blood.
08:34 This solution is passed through the lining of our stomach, which is called peritoneum.
08:41 This can be done at home.
08:44 There is a person who helps me.
08:49 Before we came here, I needed to go to the emergency room.
08:54 She's also a dialysis patient.
08:57 She recommended this type of dialysis to us.
09:02 What does this solution do?
09:06 It cleanses the body.
09:09 This is the component.
09:15 It's like water, but it enters your system.
09:20 This solution.
09:23 Every 6 hours, Shirley needs to undergo peritoneal dialysis.
09:27 Shirley, this is where your life is at risk.
09:31 Yes.
09:33 Because if you miss this, what you do every day.
09:39 I'm intoxicated. I feel dizzy.
09:48 Twice a month, Shirley gets a lot of solutions from a PhilHealth-contracted clinic for her supply.
09:57 This is free under the Z-Benefit package of PhilHealth.
10:02 It's also a big amount that the government gets.
10:05 Yes.
10:06 But how much is it for you?
10:08 It's a lot. I think it's around 40 to 50,000 pesos if there's no free one.
10:16 If there's no free one?
10:17 Yes.
10:18 But if there's a free one, how much is it?
10:20 Less than 20 pesos per month.
10:23 Yes.
10:24 It's around 15 to 20,000 pesos including my check-ups and my laboratories.
10:32 Outside of Shirley's house, there are boxes of medicines that she needs for her daily medication.
10:41 But did you know that these four boxes are enough for her 7 to 8 days of medication?
10:48 According to PhilHealth, the benefits of patients with chronic kidney disease are also increasing compared to the past years.
10:57 Hemodialysis is one of the highest insurance claims from the budget of PhilHealth.
11:04 Under 2022, PhilHealth paid Php 17.3 billion for hemodialysis claims alone.
11:14 But for a lifetime of illness, access to medical benefits is still a problem.
11:20 In metropolitan areas, there are a lot.
11:24 We have a lot and I think it's enough in major metropolitan areas.
11:32 There are some areas that don't have dialysis.
11:34 Maybe it's just a few, that's why it's not profitable.
11:37 But for humanitarian reasons, it is still good.
11:41 Some people joke that you'll die because of the cost of medication, not because of illness.
11:46 In a long-term condition like chronic kidney disease,
11:50 aside from physical difficulties, you need to face a pain in the stomach
11:54 to continue to live.
12:00 I am Jun Velaración and this is our report.
12:03 [Music]
12:27 you
12:29 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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