HealthFirst opens crossover Hemodialysis Center

Kidney diseases in the country have been increasing. In the past years, over 12,000 new cases are reported annually as kidney complications soar at the same pace as the cases of diabetes and hypertension rise. And as a response to the expanding number of kidney disease patients, HealthFirst officially opened its first premiere Hemodialysis Center in its main clinic at SoHo Central in Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. The newest addition to the pool of HealthFirst clinics is headed by none other than Dra. Ma. Antonieta Dial.

"These are the common causes of endkidney disease; about 50 to 60 percent of kidney patients will be due to diabetes, hypertension," she said.

Dra. Dial considers HealthFirst as a modern crossover between two types of dialysis centers-one being hospital-based and the other as a stand-alone. Generally, treatments in stand-alone clinics cost less than those inside hospitals, but as a clinic, it has lesser facilities to back it up.

What makes HealthFirst's newly opened hemodialysis center unique is that it's located in a convenient one-stop shop clinic with services ranging from diagnostic to psychiatric consultations. The SoHo HealthFirst Clinic houses its own pharmacy, its in-house doctors are available for regular consultation and the laboratories that could cater to further tests that patients may need.

"One important thing is that we have a mini operating room because the specialists we have here are vascular surgeons. They can easily be admitted in vascular surgery," Dra. Dial explained, pertaining to the dialysis procedures.

"It's not a hospital setting, it's a stand-alone and a strong one too. It's a cross-over," she said.

HealthFirst's first premiere hemodialysis center has 12 hemodialysis units in a set-up far from the usual dreary atmosphere other centers have. Patients are settled in comfortable reclining leather chairs provided with their own television screen and headset to keep them occupied during long treatment hours. The dialysis room is spacious and lightly decorated, giving patients enough personal space and room for breathing.

"HealthFirst stands firm to its mission of providing quality health care in a setting with an ambiance fit for its patients with the widest, most comfortable space at an affordable price," said HealthFirst Medical Director Roberto Castro.

"We're actually unique because we can provide bundled health care. We march forward to provide our patients with the best facilities," Bob Muñoz, Business Operations Head of Reliance Health Services Inc. added.

Established in 1999, HealthFirst boasts of a prominent clientele base. Aside from the UNILAB Group of Companies, the multispecialty clinic has also been catering to Del Monte Philippines, Nutri-Asia, PHILAM, Teleperformance, Sunlife of Canada, Intellicare, and AsianLife Insurance.

HealthFirst Clinic operates from 8AM6PM, Monday-Saturday.