00:00There are more than 100 patients with leptospirosis who are being treated at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute and at San Lazaro Hospital.
00:12In San Lazaro, patients need to be referred to another hospital if they need to undergo dialysis.
00:18Witness, Mackie Polido.
00:21For many patients with leptospirosis at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, doctors and nurses are already short.
00:31If there are more patients, those who need to undergo dialysis need to be referred to another hospital.
00:37There are only four dialysis machines in the hospital.
00:40Our medicines for dialysis are running out. We need to make an emergency purchase.
00:48One of the patients confined in San Lazaro is Jose, who drowned in Valenzuela to help the dogs and cats affected by the typhoon Karina and Habagat.
00:58It's a sacrifice of helping friends. That's all.
01:11Jose is one of the 58 patients confined in San Lazaro because of leptospirosis.
01:1737 patients are in critical condition.
01:203 cases of severe lepto were diagnosed this week.
01:24The other patient has been without a uterus for 3 days.
01:27It's very late.
01:28The other patient was not delayed because his family did not want him to undergo dialysis.
01:35Mostly, the burden is the delayed hospital consult.
01:40In the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City, 67 patients were admitted because of leptospirosis.
01:47The NKTI called DOH and public hospitals to add more nurses.
01:52Some staffs are already OT to meet the needs of the patients.
01:56Actually, we're already referring patients now since yesterday.
02:01I think 10 patients have already been admitted by TALA Hospital.
02:06Because in these hospitals where we transfer patients, they need to have dialysis capability.
02:12So they need to have facilities.
02:14The Philippine Red Cross has already sent 15 medical personnel to help the NKTI.
02:20The Red Cross also added a welfare desk.
02:23So if the patient cannot avoid drowning,
02:26they can take an antibiotic called Doxycycline from the Barangay Health Center.
02:31If the patient has symptoms like fever and nausea after drowning,
02:36they should not wait for it to go away.
02:38Because we gave them lunas and antibiotics,
02:44their feelings did not go to moderate or severe type.
02:50DOH is already studying the situation to be more effective in responding
02:54to the expected increase of the number of leptospirosis cases.
02:58For GMA Integrated News, Mackie Pulido, your Saksi.
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03:19For more information visit www.fema.gov
