The National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) announced the cut in the number of dialysis patients on Thursday as the shortage in water supply continues to hound parts of Metro Manila.
Dr. Rose Liquete said the NKTI, which operates in the peak hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., was forced lower the number of patients accepted for dialysis, saying that it only had around 25 percent left of its 1,500-cubic meter water tank.
At full capacity, NKTI operates with 70 patients per four-hour session, spread in four different shifts. The hospital had to asked some of the patients to resort to alternative means for their dialysis needs because of the water interuptions, Liquete said.
With each hemodialysis machine consuming 100 to 150 liters during peak hours, NKTI resorted to put patients under peritoneal dialysis, a form of treatment that uses the abdomen’s lining to cleanse the blood, as a temporary solution because it consumes less water and can be performed at home.
Local officials earlier asked Manila Water to prioritize water supply of hospital amid the water crisis.
