NKTI, PHC put on alert for holiday emergencies

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) will remain fully operational and on standby to respond to medical emergencies during the holiday season.

In a statement on Monday, NKTI said its emergency rooms will remain open to accommodate non-renal cases.

The hospital added that it is prepared to expand bed capacity for patients during Christmas and New Year.

NKTI recorded and responded to the highest number of difficulty-of-breathing cases from December 21, 2024 to January 6, 2025.

Meanwhile, the PHC said it is on alert for cases of stroke, acute coronary syndrome, and bronchial asthma, which often spike during the holidays due to increased consumption of alcohol, fatty, and salty foods during gatherings.

As an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital with Platinum Status, PHC said it is capable of immediately diagnosing and treating stroke patients.

BUCAS (Basic Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service) Centers under the PHC are also on standby to respond to fireworks-related injuries, road crash injuries, and other non-communicable diseases.

BUCAS Centers are satellite emergency clinics set up by big government hospitals—like the Philippine Heart Center (PHC)—to handle non-life-threatening but urgent cases. The idea is to decongest major hospitals and bring care closer to communities.

Earlier, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that government hospitals would be placed under Code White Alert during the holiday season, placing government hospitals on heightened readiness.

Under Code White Alert, hospitals are required to ensure adequate staffing of doctors, nurses, and medical personnel; and emergency rooms, operating rooms, blood banks, and critical units are fully operational.

DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa inspected several hospitals on Monday as part of the Ligtas Christmas Campaign 2025 to assess hospital readiness and monitor patient conditions during the first week of holiday surveillance.

“Ito pa lang unang week ng surveillance namin: sampung stroke, kinse na acute coronary syndrome ang naitala. Talagang tumataas ang stroke,” Herbosa said.

(In just the first week of our surveillance, we have already recorded 10 stroke cases and 15 cases of acute coronary syndrome. Stroke cases are really increasing.)—MCG, GMA Integrated News