Leptospirosis cases limit ER admissions at NKTI

MANILA, Philippines — Walk-in admissions at the emergency room (ER) of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City were suddenly limited over the weekend as it operated at full-bed capacity amid a surge in leptospirosis cases and a high volume of patients.

“To prioritize patients requiring emergency care and admission, walk-in admissions will be subject to limitations until further notice, with priority given to patients requiring urgent and critical medical interventions,” the NKTI said in a notice on Sunday.

Patients seeking elective or nonemergency admission were advised to coordinate with their attending physicians.

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The NKTI also urged patients to consider other healthcare facilities with available beds to avoid prolonged waiting times.“We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding,” the government-owned tertiary medical specialty center said.

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READ: DOH monitoring leptospirosis cases amid widespread floods

Like last year

The NKTI did not give an exact number of its leptospirosis patients, but its ER can only accommodate up to 64 patients at a time.

In August last year, when the NKTI was also overwhelmed with a surge of leptospirosis patients, it repurposed its covered gymnasium to accommodate more patients.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the San Lazaro Hospital (SLH) in Manila is ready to accommodate the expected rise of leptospirosis cases, following Health Secretary Edwin Mercado’s inspection of that hospital.

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As of Saturday, the government hospital’s 120-bed leptospirosis ward was only 50 percent occupied.

READ: DOH sees 6% rise in leptospirosis; over 2,000 cases logged in last 5 months

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A “leptospirosis express lane”  has been activated at SLH to provide faster treatment for patients.

The agency also urged the DOH-operated hospitals to ensure that surge-capacity beds are available in case of a possible increase in leptospirosis cases nationwide.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rontgene Solante of SLH pointed out that three of their leptospirosis patients had already died.Solante said most of the patients admitted to the hospital were already severe cases, with acute kidney injury and pulmonary hemorrhage—conditions that are difficult to treat.

Benefit packages of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) cover leptospirosis cases amounting to P63,000 for standard hospitalization, and up to P411,000 for complex cases requiring specialized treatment.

Treatment for severe leptospirosis cases are also covered under the DOH “zero balance billing program” across DOH-administered and PhilHealth-accredited hospitals. 

The DOH reported that leptospirosis cases reached 3,440 from Jan. 1 to Aug. 8, down by 35 percent compared to 5,318 cases recorded during the same period in 2025.

Despite the overall year-over-year decline, epidemiological monitoring logged a 27-percent bi-weekly increase: 348 new cases were reported from July 12 to 25, up from the 275 cases from June 28 to July 11.

The DOH raised a “Code White” alert last week, with hospitals staff, medical teams, and operations centers placed on 24/7 standby to ensure rapid response.

The agency has been closely monitoring a possible increase in leptospirosis cases following widespread flooding caused by continuous monsoon rains since the start of August.

The DOH has positioned 3.1 million doxycycline capsules—an antibiotic used as post-exposure prophylaxis for leptospirosis — across its central office and 17 regional Centers for Health Development (CHDs) for release upon request by local government units and other government agencies.

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the Leptospira bacteria found in water contaminated by the urine of affected rats. The bacteria can survive in contaminated water or soil for weeks to months.

People may get leptospirosis by wading through floodwaters or handling soil, dirt or mud after a flood, with or without visible wounds, through exposed skin.

The disease poses a major health problem in the country, especially during the rainy season from June to November. About 10 to 15 percent of patients die because of leptospirosis.

Patients who contract leptospirosis often experience mild flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, chills, body or muscle aches, vomiting or nausea, and yellowed skin and eyes.

Symptoms of leptospirosis can show as early as two days to as late as 30 days after being exposed to contaminated flood water, and can only be clinically observed in an average of seven to 14 days.

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However, about 5 percent of leptospirosis cases progress to more severe complications such as Weil’s Syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure and lung hemorrhage. /cb