NKTI breaks ground for outpatient services building

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new outpatient services building (OPS) that will cater to more people in need of organ transplants and renal care services.

NKTI executive director Dr. Rose Marie Liquete said that the state-of-the-art facility is expected to rise after 24 months or less.

The OPS building will serve as a one-stop shop building for the patients’ healthcare needs and will house the NKTI’s medical social services division. Some offices located in the hospital’s main building, including its Malasakit Center for indigent patients, will also be transferred to the new building.

It will also feature modern equipment and health facilities such as laboratory services, an ambulatory surgery unit, and a chemotherapy unit.

The OPS building will cost P1.331 billion to construct, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

“Dapat nga before na COVID pa ito. Of course, inabutan ng COVID, tumaas ang presyo ng steel, and medyo nagka-fail bidding din. But finally, we are here, sa wakas po,” Liquete said.

(This should’ve been started before the COVID-19 pandemic. But of course, due to the pandemic, the price of steel increased, and we also faced a failure of bidding. But finally, we are here.)

“As we break ground on this project, we envision a legacy of healing and hope—a future where patients are met with innovation and empathy. Let us look forward to the many exciting developments that will unfold in the months to come,” she added.

In June 2024, the NKTI also began the establishment of its new hemodialysis building for patients that have kidney diseases.

Last year, experts expressed concern as the number of dialysis patients in the country rose by 42%—from 25,125 in 2022 to 35,714 in 2023.

The sudden rise in numbers, they said, may be attributed to the increase of people diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension, which are considered lifestyle diseases. — VBL, GMA Integrated News