Hepatologists urge establishment of national liver center

The Hepatology Society of the Philippines (HSP) is pushing for the establishment of a Liver Center in the country.

At a media roundtable at Quezon City on Tuesday, HSP president Dr. Jennielyn Agcaoli-Conde said they are working with the government through technical consultations for such an institute.

There are now two bills in Congress—House Bills 3016 and 3600—in support of the establishment and funding of a liver cancer center.

“We're waiting na lang na ma-plenary siya, and hopefully ma-approve yung liver center… We need also from a Senate bill na magkaroon din ng establishment of a liver center,” she said.

(We are waiting for it to reach the plenary, and hopefully the Liver Center will be approved… We need also from a Senate Bill for there to have an establishment of Liver Center.)

The HSP said that its vision for the institute is that it would become a specialized hospital similar to the functions of the Philippine Heart Center and the National Kidney Transplant Institute.

“Kumbaga a national center that will deal with all liver diseases and I hope also yung liver transplant mag-move forward na rin dito sa country natin… [It would be like a national center that will deal with all liver diseases and I hope also liver transplants that will move forward here in the country…] a liver center is really a very good venue for research, registry and would deal for cases of patients with liver diseases,” she added.

The HSP is also working with the Department of Health’s Health Facility Development Bureau (HFDB) for the establishment of the center.

“We're looking into if there are any other properties with our government that we could establish the Liver Center, or if there is an existing DOH hospital that will be named as the Liver Center of the Philippines… Isa rin tinitingnan kasi yung [parang] mga NKTI is the GOCCs… [It would be a] DOH hospital na talagang designated as the Liver Center of the Philippines [One of the things we are also looking into is something like the NKTI for the GOCCs… [It would be a] DOH hospital that is actually designated as the Liver Center of the Philippines],” she said.

HSP is hopeful that the establishment of a dedicated liver institute would lead to improvements in liver care nationwide.

“I hope with the establishment of that liver center would really give us more updated incidents, prevalence of liver diseases, a center for training as well [because] most of the hepatologists or hepatobiliary surgeons natin or even transplant are trained in other countries,” she said.

“We're looking at that one na parang yung liver center is a one-stop shop for diagnosis and treatment, research,” she added.

They are now seeking audiences with the Senate Committee on Health to further push their advocacies to expand health benefits for liver care and process the bill to establish the liver center. — BM, GMA Integrated News