First pain clinic in Visayas opens in Balamban prov'l hospital

Local

PATIENTS suffering from chronic and cancer-related pain can now access specialized treatment at the newly opened interventional pain clinic at Cebu Provincial Hospital–Balamban, the first facility of its kind in Cebu and the Visayas.

Capitol Health Consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan said the clinic offers advanced interventional pain management services, including minimally invasive procedures aimed at helping patients manage persistent and debilitating pain conditions.

“Para ni sa mga chronic pain, joints, cancer pain. Manghambog jud mi nga first jud na siya in Cebu,” Catalan said.

One of the key services is Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), a minimally invasive procedure that targets specific nerves transmitting pain signals to the brain.

“Mao na ang gitawag nga Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) first ni sa Cebu Province,” Catalan added.

Anesthesiologist Dr. Tristan Rebalde explained the procedure involves inserting a probe guided by ultrasound to locate the nerve causing pain, followed by controlled heat application to interrupt the pain signal.

“Diba naa man tay nerves. In pain man gud especially sa mga naay osteoarthritis is malfunctioning siya, sige siyag signal nga sakit,” he said.

“So ang buhaton sa RFA, mo insert sila og probe nga e ultrasound asa dapit ang nerve, then sunugon nila ang nerve.”

Catalan said pain management is still an underserved specialty, despite a growing number of patients needing it.

“How important? Underserved na siya nga specialty. Daghan kaayog nag need og pain management pero ang nag offer mostly kay private hospitals,” she said.

In private hospitals, the procedure can cost P100,000 to P200,000.

At CPH-Balamban, patients can use PhilHealth coverage, reducing the cost to around P20,000.

Lung cancer tops the list of common cancers in Central Visayas, followed by liver, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers, health officials said in an earlier MyTV Cebu report.

Dr. Joan Antonette R. Albito of DOH Central Visayas urged residents to take preventive action through regular screenings and healthy lifestyle choices.

She said in 2024, cancer ranked as the eighth leading cause of death in the region, while nationally it remains among the top three.

Albito also warned about the risks of tobacco and vaping, which contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde that increase cancer and other health risks.

Researchers say many Filipino cancer patients continue to struggle to obtain treatment that meets global standards, despite advances in cancer care.

A study published in the journal Ecancermedicalscience highlights how rising treatment costs, uneven access to therapies, and structural challenges in the Philippine health system contribute to persistent inequalities in cancer care.

The paper, titled “Achieving health equity in cancer care in the Philippines,” notes that although improvements have been made across different stages of cancer treatment—from diagnosis to therapy—many patients still face barriers to receiving appropriate care.

These challenges are particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare systems must deliver quality services despite limited resources and the growing cost of medical innovations.(MyTVCebu)