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 Lolita Cayana came through the MICU doors intubated and on triple inotropes. She was a 50 year old bag lady who was poorly compliant to anti-hyperthyroid medications due to lack of funds and was now paying for her poverty. Hypotensive, dyspneic and in the most critical of conditions, her residents in charge and interns exerted herculean efforts just to get her antibiotics and some laboratories for the day. For the longest time, she had no watcher and it was the doctors who ran about the hospital looking for funds. Luckily, SAGIP was there to shoulder not only her antibiotics very much needed for her septic shock but some diagnostics which were crucial in ruling out thyroid storm and in diagnosing thyrotoxic heart disease (massive). Her stay in MICU was a dramatic one, developing drug reactions to certain medications and even experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest for a few minutes.
Ma'am Lolita was transferred to the wards off inotropic support and mechanical ventilation; recovering from her "storm." Although she still needs assistance for her maintenance medications, today she is not only comfortable, but glad to be alive, a life that was saved by SAGIP.
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 Patient Leonida Duca was referred to our institution from Bataan for consideration of a hematologic condition when she presented with decreasing hemoglobin and platelet. On further tests, with the help of the Hematology service, she was found to have thrombocytopenic thrombotic purpura (TTP). It is a condition that can only be treated by total plasma exchange (TPE), a procedure that may be curative and life-saving. If not done, mortality rate is as high as 90%. The procedure is costly and may require more than a single session depending on the patient’s response.
Due to lack of funds, the family decided to go home against medical advice even with the possibility of death. “Gustuhin man po namin na siya ay mabuhay, wala po talaga kaming pera na maibabayad sa TPE.” (Much as we would like her to live, we really do not have the money to pay for the TPE). This was the statement made by Leonida’s father, who was very depressed and seemed helpless during that time.
SAGIP gave Leonida’s family hope when it provided for the first session of the TPE. This gave enough time for the family to look for funds from relatives and friends, securing enough money to complete another three TPE sessions until she responded to complete recovery. Leonida survived the ordeal and she is still on regular follow-up with the Hematology service up to this day.
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 Mr. Oscar Villena was rushed to the Emergency Room of the Philippine General Hospital due to severe chest pain. He was diagnosed to have Acute Myocardial Infarction (or heart attack) and was admitted at the Medical ICU. He and his family had very limited funds at that time. Several laboratory tests were required such as CKMB, CK total, Troponin I, PTT and 2D Echo. SAGIP Buhay assisted him in procuring the said tests. He was then able to direct his funds in purchasing his medications. After a few days, he was transferred to the wards and discharged improved.
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A Great and Big Lending Hand
One of my most memorable patients was really very sick. Imagine this, She was a fifty-something year old, with so many medical problems—(1) a blocked artery in her left leg, (2) a stroke, (3) a heart attack, another blocked artery leading to her lungs, and (4) a life threatening infection.
The challenge to save her was so very daunting. Her family did not have any money. And she needed surgery (which she had twice!), needed cardiac medication (which were a lot!), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission (which as we know is indeed “intensive care”, but is also associated with more “intensive” cost).
If the task to try and “heal” her were left up to me and the family, we would have been able to do only so much. But, with the help of many, the foremost being SAGIP Buhay, we were able to send her to the operating room and saved what could be saved from her leg, gave her the necessary treatment for her heart attack, stroke, and lung problem, send her to the ICU, and provide for her the necessary antibiotics to eradicate her infection.
We were able to send home this patient after more than 1 month, would you believe? In the end, we proved that with the right ingredients of a very good family support, compassionate doctors and medical team, and organizations that are there to assst financially, then we can continue despite all odds to save lives. SAGIP Buhay, truly, gave us a great and big helping hand.
JAB - 2nd Year President
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 Everyone has made mistakes in their lives.Esmeralda Custodio is no exemption... and it has taken its toll on her health.
When Esmeralda was brought to PGH, we weren’t sure if she would survive. She was so weak, out of breath and in shock. She had heart failure from metamphetamine abuse, which decompensated due to a severe pneumonia. She also has Cushing’s syndrome from prolonged self medication of Prednisone, in relative adrenal insufficiency.
Esmeralda has no stable job and recently out of jail. Her only support was her teenage daughter who took care of her. With the help of SAGIP-BUHAY Medical foundation and medical social service, the needed medications for her heart failure and infection were provided.
After 2 weeks of confinement, Esmeralda was able to go home. She is very grateful for the help and chance she was given.
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R.M.
is a 28 year old, male admitted for severe pulmonary tuberculosis.
For the past 2 months, he has been having cough with bloody sputum (hemoptysis).
SAGIP was able to provide the funds needed for a Chest CT Scan and medications to stop the hemoptysis.
He was discharged improved and currently being treated for PTB. |
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A.G.
is a 66 year old, diabetic male, who suffered a non-healing wound over his left leg, and subsequently underwent amputation. Regular administration of antibiotics is crucial to prevent further infection.
Piperacillin-Tazobactam IV woud cost him P1416 daily. SAGIP Buhay Medical Foundation provided him with assistance of procuring the drug sufficient for the first day. With all the efforts of his family and the medical team, our patient was able to go home after a week renewed. |
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Carlito Din
is a 56 yr old with emphysema and pneumonia. He came to us with labored breathing. He was unable to buy his medications since his only source of income is begging in the streets. Through the help of SAGIP, we were able to give his dose of antibiotics and inhaler. |
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Rogelio Gutierrez
is a jeepney driver who is diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. Through the help of SAGIP, he was able to get initial dialysis and diagnostic work-ups. |
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Elena Penelomio
is a laundrywoman who developed heart failure and complications after removal of her thyroid gland. Through the help of SAGIP, she was able to get her antibiotics for her pneumonia, and facilitate work-up of her ailments. |
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Joanna Salientes
is a 28 y/o housewife who has renal disease from obstructing renal stones. She also grew bacteria in her urine and blood. Through the help of SAGIP, she was able to buy the necessary antibiotics for her infection. |
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Bernadette Del Pilar
At 64 years of age, Aling Bernadette has been suffering from bronchial asthma for quite some time. However, this disease hit her hardest this July when she not only ran out of maintenance medications but was also inflicted with a severe case of pneumonia. Due to the severity of her disease, she went into distress and eventually cardiac arrest. Luckily, she was immediately brought to PGH where she was revived. Her family however was distraught when they only had enough funds to provide for her much needed medications and not a mechanical ventilator to support her breathing. With the help of SAGIP foundation, Aling Bernadette was provided with a mechanical ventilator. Thanks to this intervention, only after 2 weeks at the hospital, Aling Bernadette was well enough to go home. |
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Vivian Bulaong
Being a 34 year old mother and housewife with no source of income, it was a struggle for Ate Vivian to deal with her breast cancer physically, emotionally and financially. A bigger blow hit them this year when Ate Vivian’s back ache was diagnosed to be a symptom of her cancer spreading to her bones. However what became a more immediate problem was that her bone metastasis caused her to have very high blood calcium levels which if left untreated could cause fatal heart and kidney problems. Despite pooling their resources, Ate Vivian and her family did not have enough funds to secure Pamidronate, a medication that could be life saving in her case. Thanks to SAGIP, their funds were augmented so that Ate Vivian was able to receive this medication in time. This medication may not have cured her of the breast cancer but it went a long way in helping Ate Vivian cope with her illness. |
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Mary Jane Anier is a 29 year old office worker who in 2006 was diagnosed with SLE, more commonly known as “Lupus”, a disease wherein the body attacks itself. Her SLE exacerbated after she had a bout of Amoebiasis. She developed SLE cerebritis (brain inflammation) which caused her to go into Status Epilepticus, (several consecutive seizures), and had to be intubated to protect her airway. She also needed to undergo Methylprednisolone pulse therapy in order to control her SLE. Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation paid for her mechanical ventilator for 3 days as well as for the first dose of the Methylprednisolone (around P4000 per vial), without which the course of her condition would have been downhill. She went home with her family several days after treatment was completed with a bright smile on her face. |
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G.L., 56/M, carpenter
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease causes gangrene of the toes and eventually the foot. This picture shows the limb of the patient prior to the life-saving foot amputation in order to prevent the rapid spread of infection in his body.
“Salamat sa Sagip at napagawa ko ang Venous at Arterial Duplex na mamahaling laboratoryo para sa aking mga paa. Dahil dito, nalaman ko na may bara ang ugat ng aking hita. Dahil rin sa Sagip, napabilis ang pag-amputate ng aking paa.” |
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E.R., 59/M, iron welder
He developed “Massive pericardial effusion, in tamponade” which simply means the sac that holds his heart became filled with fluid which compressed his heart, leading to deterioration of its pumping function.
This picture was taken after “pericardiocentesis” (removal of fluid from the sac by means of a large needle inserted through his chest towards the heart sac) was done.
“Salamat sa Sagip, na pa-2D Echo ako at nalaman na may tubig ang aking puso. Dahil rin sa Sagip, nakabili kami ng gamit para matanggalan ng tubig ang aking puso. Ngayon, nakakahinga na ako ng mas maluwag.” |
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Purita Bagobo is a 60 year old, Roman Catholic, housewife from Bicol, who came in due to 1 month history of cough, dyspnea, and fever. She also has a 10 year history of anterior neck mass associated with tremors, weight loss and palpitations, but due to financial constraints, no work-up was done for the said mass. She was then admitted with a diagnosis of Community Acquired Pneumonia, moderate risk, Thyroid storm and hypertension. During the course of her stay, she had worsening of her pneumonia and heart failure necessitating intubation and mechanical ventilation, which lasted for 2 weeks due to difficulty in weaning. Though she has good family support, with her husband and children constantly in search of means to answer to her financial needs, most of her medications specially antibiotics were still beyond their capacity. Her antibiotics, anti-thyroid medications and part of her mechanical ventilator rent were answered by SAGIP.
She was then discharged after 19 days of admission very much improved and grateful for the help extended by SAGIP, getting her out of the most pressing predicament ever faced by her and her family.
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