One watcher per patient urged in hospitals to help conserve water

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday appealed to patients confined in hospitals to have only one watcher in their rooms to help save water amid the water shortage in Metro Manila.

"Kami po ay nakikiusap, isa-isa lang po. Isa na lang po sana yung kasama, 'wag na magsama ng higit pa sa isa para magbantay. 'Pag dalawa, tatlo ang bantay ang pag-ubos ng tubig ay mas malakas," Duque said at a press conference at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI).

Duque also urged hospitals to implement austerity measures and monitor their water consumption.

This comes after the Manila Water pledged to supply 50 percent of total water requirements of the Rizal Medical Center, National Center for Mental Health, National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI), Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center. 

Duque, however, said he expects all public and private hospitals to take note of the austerity measures of affected establishments even if they are not affected by the water shortage.

NKTI executive director Dr. Rosa Liquete echoed the appeal of Duque, saying she understands the situation of some patients who require more than one watcher. However, the NKTI, she said, needs to be stricter due to the water service interruptions.

"Naiintindihan namin na may mga pasyenteng kailangan minsan na dalawa ang alalay kasi very sickly ang ating mga pasyente. [Pero] 'pag maraming bantay, they have to occupy also the space, they sleep in the rooms, they also take a bath here," Liquete told reporters.

"Hindi rin namin mapapanagutan lahat 'yun dahil ang pasyente ang aming pangunahing kinakailangan tulungan. Dati pa namin sinasabi sa mga pasyente 'yan, but we tolerate naman. But now we really have to be strict sa one bantay," she added.

Liquete said Manila Water agreed to supply the NKTI 750 cubic meters of its 1,500-cubic meter daily requirement through the deployment of water tankers and scheduled water supply.

She also said some hemodialysis patients were advised to temporarily undergo peritoneal dialysis, a form of treatment that uses the abdomen's lining to cleanse the blood.

Liquete said hemodialysis needs 100 to 150 liters of water per five-hour session, whereas the peritoneal dialysis needs only around six to eight liters and can be done at home. —KBK, GMA News