RISING LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES, NKTI TURNS GYM INTO WARD

Patients in the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) are being piled due to the increasing cases of leptospirosis and shortage of health workers. The increase in cases was felt after several weeks following the floods caused by super typhoons Carina and habagat.

Some patients are already waiting outside the emergency room at the NKTI in Quezon City because there are already 125 people crammed into the ER's 66 bed capacity, some of them are affected by leptospirosis.

NKTI accommodating patients amid leptospirosis cases surge and lack of staff (Photo courtesy of Rappler)

So far, the number of leptospirosis patients admitted to NKTI has reached 67, three have died in the past week. Because of this, the hospital gym itself has been turned into a leptospirosis ward, where about 40 patients have been admitted to the NKTI gym. 

Most of them undergo dialysis because the leptospirosis is in an advanced stage and the kidneys are already affected.

The problem at NKTI is the lack of health workers, so they have asked to other hospitals and the Department of Health (DOH) for more health workers. The DOH assessment is said to be ongoing. The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) also deployed a team of nurses and volunteers to the NKTI.

"The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) is currently treating several confirmed and probable leptospirosis cases. To allow for prompt management, doctors and their suspect or probable leptospirosis patients are hereby advised to divert to nearby equally capable hospitals," the DOH said.

“The Department of Health is continually assessing the clinical, epidemiologic, and logistics situation to effectively respond to the anticipated rise in leptospirosis after the floods of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Habagat,” it added.

Leptospirosis comes from bacteria that comes from the urine of animals such as rats and it can enter the body of a person with a wound or it can also be in the eyes, mouth, or nose. When exposed to contaminated water, symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, tremors, vomiting, rashes, and yellowing of the skin and eyes can be experienced.

In the entire Philippines, the number of cases of the disease has reached more than 1,444, which is less compared to more than 2,505 last year, 162 of which have died. So, doctors advise the public to avoid going down in the flood, if unavoidable, immediately wash the part of the body that have been exposed.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

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