“BINGO!” cheered a lady who bagged cold cash and who suddenly forgot the pain of her multiple kidney operations during a bingo game hosted by the UST Hospital (USTH).
The USTH Nephrology Section held the Mobile Charity Bingo for around 850 dialysis and kidney patients in Luzon last June 25 at the Engineering Sports Complex
The bingo game was part of a series of events organized by the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) to instill awareness on kidney diseases last June’s National Kidney Month.
“It was also a family event for promoting camaraderie among kidney patients,” said Dr. Stephanie Andres of the USTH Nephrology Section and co-organizer of the event.
Patients who suffered from chronic renal and kidney failure participated in the bingo play. Most of them came from different hospitals and dialysis centers in Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Pampanga, and Bulacan.
A cash prize of P 10,000 was given to the winner, a female kidney patient, while P 3,000 consolation prizes were given to eight participants. In addition, different pharmaceutical companies like Janssen, Fresenius, B-Braun, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche raffled off wheel chairs, dialyzers and medicines.
The bingo game, along with various lectures on kidney-related disorders held in different hospitals, is an annual nationwide event initiated by PSN in 2004. Proceeds go to the Philippine Association for Renal Health, an organization of kidney patients also established by the PSN in 2003. Adrian T. Elumba
