Perhaps you can argue that RITM, having the least number of patients among the 3 HIV Treatment hubs in the Metropolis, that it would be the best hub for you being it would mean more time and attention can be given to you and the risk of running into someone you know is lesser... I would beg to differ and that the second reason should not be even considered in your choosing which would you go to...
I am from RITM... which is in Alabang, Muntinlupa... and I am unfortunately from Pasig, near Marikina and Cainta... and that it takes me more or less 2 hours before I get there for ARV refills and check up... And that it have been a problem, kasi minsan suddenly nagkafever ulit ako and alam naman natin na with our condition hindi na natin pwedeng basta-basta wag pansinin ang lagnat as it can mean something worse... so I wanted sana to have myself check right away... eh kaso, ang layo ng RITM sa akin at kung pipilitin ko na pumunta, eh baka lalong lumala... so you see, the first thing you need to consider in choosing your treatment hub is location...
Your treatment hub needs to be the nearest one to you and most convenient... Para anytime na may mangyari sa'yo or you needed something, mas madali... actually yan lang yung dapat na batayan mo sa pagpili ng treatment hub... I have heard time and again, that one of the consideration kasi is anonymity... natatakot sila na may makakita sa kanila na kakilala nila, natatakot sila that people would know that they have HIV...
Medyo secluded nga ang RITM, one of the reasons nga why mas kounti ang pasyente... pero may pasyente pa rin at may mga tao pa rin... so para sa akin di valid yung reason na yan... mas delikado nga na makita ka sa RITM kasi unlike SLH and PGH, hindi general hospital ang RITM... at least, kung nakita ka sa PGH or SLH pwede mong sabihin na kasi malala na sipono ubo... sa RITM, ano? Nakagat ka ng aso?
Pero kasi in our condition, and to what we know now about it... prejudice and bigotry should be our least of our concerns... sure, despite the massive growth of HIV infection in this past years here in our country eh madami pa rin ang mababaw ang pagunawa sa sakit natin... I think one of the reason why is we are in denial of it... we deny that we are HIV+ and living normal lives, and in denial that it could not happen to us...
This may sound preachy pero kasi... people tend to believe it is still a dreaded disease... when in truth, as in this time and age, it is now equated to having hypertension and diabetes... which are two of the top killers in the Philippines... and sure, while this two disease are hereditary in nature at ang HIV is communicable through having unprotected sex... eh ano ngayon, sa maganda ako, nagpakatotoo lang ako, at naging mahina sa tawag ng laman... ano ngayon?
Ang point ko lang is that, we are still wrapped around the idea na the reason we got HIV is because we were immoral to the extend na sakit pa rin ng mga bakla, na ayun sa sabihan eh masama... kaya tayo nagkaAIDS kasi immoral tayo... and that we fearing the bigotry and prejudice, makes it more a fact...
Di ko naman sinasabi na ipagsigawan mo sa boung mundo... I just don't think it should be something we should be ashamed of...
Sorry... medyo nalihis yata... let us go back...
Yun nga, the only reason you should consider in choosing your hub is location... kung madali ba sa'yong mapuntahan, makatakbo sa hub mo... kasi nga anytime na may mangyari sa'yo o may concern ka, di magiging masyadong hassle...
I won't try to raise a debate in which one is the best among the three hubs... nakakatawa nga kasi pag pinagcocompare, ang RITM daw exclusive school, ang PGH is pag intellectual... at ang SLH pang poor... ah ewan sa inyo, pero medyo totoo yung sa RITM, kasi as compared dun sa 2, mahal ang RITM... tulad ng pagpapaCD4, libre sa SLH... pero pareparehong public ang 3 hospital na yan ha... The thing is, I don't know about SLH, pero sa PGH... you are given a doctor to handle you as his or her patient... kasi sa RITM, iba-iba... papalit palit... every 2 weeks yata ibang doctor nanaman... so hindi natutukan ng isang tao lang ang kaso mo ang history, which is very important... as we all know naman kasi, lifetime achievement award ang HIV so kailangan may doctor ka na kahit in a period of time eh alam ang history mo... Sa RITM kasi minsan, kailangan ko pang ikwento yung history ko or kailanga ireview yung folder ko... so kung sakaling nahihingalo ka, either kailangan mong pilitin ikwento ang lahat ng nangyari sa'yo o they need to review and study your history... di ba?
Though this could be remedied naman... you can get a private doctor... an infectious disease doctor who would monitor you... competitive naman ang rates, to what I heard one of the most esteemed infectious disease specialist, si Dr. Ditangco, charges 500 pesos... well, libre ang check up sa PGH and the other two hubs, pero kung kaya mo naman di ba... may mga tao na pangkape lang nila yan... you will still need a hub for your ARV refill... pero the thing is may isa kang doctor who you can built a relationship with in maintaining your health...
Nasa sidebar ko ang list ng mga treatment hubs all over the country, with their address and phone numbers...
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