By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) remains at full capacity with leptospirosis patients and has opened another ward to accommodate them, its executive director said on Monday (August 12, 2024).
This update was provided by NKTI Executive Director Dr. Rosemarie Liquete when asked about the hospital’s current situation regarding leptospirosis patients.
“Just like the other day, we still have many leptospirosis patients. Thankfully, we’ve had additional nurses and nursing aides, and we’ve also been able to transfer some patients to other hospitals. We’ve opened a leptospirosis gym and another ward to increase our capacity,” Liquete said in a radio interview.
Following the Department of Health’s (DOH) advisory urging leptospirosis patients to seek treatment at hospitals other than NKTI, Liquete mentioned that the number of patients at NKTI has decreased.
“The number of leptospirosis patients here at NKTI has gone down. For instance, yesterday (Sunday), 12 patients were transferred to Tala Hospital, while others are waiting in our emergency room,” Liquete said.
The DOH assured the public that there is a sufficient supply of doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat leptospirosis, despite the rising number of cases.
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