Public hospitals required to accept leptospirosis patients

The Health department on Thursday directed all public hospitals to implement a "no refusal" policy on patients ill with leptospirosis as the number of people affected by the water-borne disease continued to rise especially in urban areas hard-hit by floods due to typhoon “Ondoy." Government-run hospitals were likewise instructed to provide free treatment and medicine, and the free use of expensive machines like dialysis machines, to patients in areas affected by “Ondoy" and “Pepeng," GMA News' Claire Delfin reported over QTV Balitanghali.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV However, some hospitals are even now experiencing room shortage. The Amang Rodriguez Medical Center in Marikina City, which only has a 150-bed capacity, is already accepting and treating its patients in the hospital hallways. "There will just be a problem if we will already (reach the) maximum patient admission. And that would be the time (that) we will be referring them to other hospitals if there will be other hospitals that would accept them," said Dr. Joanna Remo, chief medical professional service of the hospital. The QTV report said Amang Rodriguez handles patients from barangays (villages) Tumana and Malanday, two of the three villages in Marikina City where the Health department declared a leptospirosis outbreak. Leptospirosis is a disease usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. In humans it causes a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may exhibit no symptoms at all. East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City has already assigned a special ward for leptospirosis patients. The report said the hospital has already admitted 76 cases in a span of seven days. Of the figure, 19 have succumbed to the flood-related illness. "Dumadating yung pasyente dito halos nasa (end) stage na tinatawag natin ito po yung hindi na sila nakakaihi, dehydrated na sila, grabe na sakit nila, (Patients arrive here already near what we call the end stage where they no longer urinate, they’re dehydrated, in serious condition)" said Dr. Emmanuel Bueno, head of the emergency and trauma unit of the hospital. In the DOH’s latest count, 28 people have already died due to leptospirosis and more than 800 people were affected since January to October 11 this year. For her part, Samahang Operasyong Sagip (SOS) spokesperson Dr. Julie Caguiat said many of the fatalities were from flooded areas such as Marikina and Pasig. Caguiat emphasized that there are also other water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, influenza A H1N1, which can all potentially lead to some outbreak, “especially when a lot of areas remain flooded and some have not been extended any kind of government assistance at all." Aside from free treatment and medicine, the government should also “set up emergency units and additional beds in public hospitals, and conduct massive health education campaign at the community level," Caguiat said. “These are extraordinary moments which require extra-ordinary decisions by the government," she said, adding that when the Health department can “pay for ads and press conferences, then it must have more funds to address these outbreaks." To help address the problem, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the Health department to employ and deploy more nurses and health workers. [See: More nurses sought vs leptospirosis problem] – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV