EDG EVA
The country’s first charity bone marrow transplant unit was opened at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) on Friday, aiming to help Filipinos with blood-related diseases gain better access to the typically high-cost procedure.
The facility makes PGH the country’s first public hospital to offer bone marrow transplantation, a treatment that was previously available only in private hospitals, Sheila B. Romero, founder of the I Want to Share (IWTS) Foundation said.
“Treatment usually costs approximately P2 million to P5 million, placing it beyond the reach of many Filipino families,” Ms. Romero said during the launch.
“But no patient — adult or child — should ever have to make that choice.”
“It is our legacy. A legacy of compassion, service, and of ensuring that every Filipino fighting cancer has the opportunity not just to survive but to live a full and meaningful life,” Ms. Romero said.
Dr. Teresita E. Dumagay, a hematology specialist, said the new facility is expected to increase the number of Filipinos who can undergo bone marrow transplantation. She noted that although around 1,000 patients needed the procedure last year, only 61 were able to receive it.
Bone marrow transplantation is a potentially life-saving treatment for patients with blood cancers and other serious blood disorders, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia, and certain inherited blood diseases.
The charity wing of the bone marrow transplant unit was developed through a collaboration between PGH and IWTS at a cost of P38 million, along with in-kind donations, Ms. Romero said.
First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos attended the launch and toured the newly opened unit.
Looking ahead, Ms. Romero said the foundation is set to inaugurate an adult leukemia ward at PGH in September. It also plans to renovate a four-story building that will serve as a palliative care facility for cancer patients. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
