NKTI concerned over its high number of COVID-19 patients

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute is concerned over the continued increase in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients being admitted at its facility.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, NKTI executive director Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete said the health care workers might suffer in the long run if the trend would continue.

She added non-COVID-19 patients might also be affected.

“It’s not a healthy environment anymore. Malaki impact nito sa hospital also being a transplant center, not only for our health workers, kundi sa ating mga pasyente na almost all of them are immunocompromised,” Liquete said.

Liquete also said the NKTI cannot increase its COVID-19 bed capacity because it also has to cater non-COVID-19 patients.

“We also have non-COVID patients na importante rin maalagaan din sila. May mga pasyente rin na non-COVID, wala namang pneumonia pero may problema kunwari sa kidneys. So mako-compromise naman ‘yon kung pati non-COVID beds ko ay kukunin, kaunti na nga lang eh,” Liquete said.

So far, there are more than 60 COVID-19 patients in the country’s prime kidney and dialysis center.

Nationwide, cases of COVID-19 ballooned to 61,226 with 21,440 recoveries and 1,643 deaths. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News