The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has stepped up to aid the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) following a surge in leptospirosis admissions that has pushed the specialized hospital to full bed capacity.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, August 25, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that PGH is prepared to accommodate overflow patients and non-leptospirosis cases to alleviate the strain on NKTI’s facilities.
“So, nagkaroon po ang PGH ng statement na sila po ay tutulong kung kinakapos po talaga ng espasyo or bed capacity ng NKTI, na andiyan po ang PGH,” Castro stated.
“At kung may mga pasyente na hindi naman nagsa-suffer ng leptospirosis, maari naman silang lumipat sa PGH. So, makikipagtulungan po ang PGH sa NKTI,” she added.
Castro assured the public that the government is actively managing the health situation, noting that public healthcare remains a top priority for the administration under the direction of Department of Health Secretary Edwin Mercado.
“Alam naman po natin ang isa sa pinakamahalaga na tinututukan po ng Pangulo ay ang kalusugan. Kaya po alam din po ng secretary, na si Secretary (Edwin) Mercado, ng DOH kung ano ang dapat na gawin para mas mabilis dapat matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan, lalong-lalo na doon sa mga nagsa-suffer ng leptospirosis,” Castro said.
The inter-hospital coordination follows NKTI’s announcement on Sunday, August 23, declaring that its emergency department had reached maximum capacity due to the influx of patients.
To avoid extended wait times, NKTI advised individuals seeking non-emergency medical care to consider alternative hospitals with available space.