00:00The flood did not end the calvary of some people due to the spread of leptospirosis.
00:07In the continuous increase of the number of people infected with the disease,
00:10the lack of healthcare workers in some public hospitals is also felt.
00:14How will the spread of the deadly disease be fought?
00:17That is the story of Tatac Public Affairs,
00:19brought to you by June Veneracion and Mackie Pulido in Reporter's Notebook.
00:24In San Lazaro Hospital,
00:31up to 88 leptospirosis patients were brought to their emergency room
00:37and it was admitted on August 13.
00:40Due to the large number of patients,
00:42the hospital made an emergency room extension in this ward.
00:467 patients are being treated.
00:48They are considered by the doctors to be in moderate to severe condition.
00:53Others were admitted because their lungs were already infected.
00:56Here, we met Christian Bonalayaw, 22 years old.
01:01It was his second day in the hospital.
01:04But because the bacteria brought by leptospirosis spread to his body,
01:09his kidney was also infected.
01:11Because of this, he needed to undergo dialysis.
01:15I was a bit nervous.
01:18I asked my colleagues if he can still be treated because he has two weeks left.
01:26These houses in Caingan Road, Quezon City,
01:29can only be seen almost completely because of the flood.
01:33A resident of the barangay, Rinaldo Dimal,
01:36was forced to flee to guard the flood and help his neighbors.
01:42Rinaldo's case followed their house.
01:45You were injured. You should have drowned there.
01:48You should have gone to the hospital after the flood.
01:53Two weeks passed.
01:55Rinaldo was rushed to the hospital.
01:57He had a fever and felt weak.
02:00The main carrier of the bacteria called leptospira
02:04that causes the disease of leptospirosis is blood.
02:07The contaminated blood of the bacteria can mix with the flood water.
02:13The bacteria can enter the open parts of the body
02:17such as the eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and open wounds.
02:23If leptospirosis cannot be treated,
02:25it can be the cause of kidney failure, liver failure,
02:29difficulty in breathing, and sometimes death.
02:35In 2024, there were 244 fatalities
02:41or deaths due to leptospirosis.
02:44To open the flood waters and avoid the spread of leptospirosis,
02:48some places in Metro Manila implemented a program
02:51to reduce and control leptospirosis.
02:53In a barangay in Paranaque,
02:552 kilos of rice is the substitute for each flood that the residents will catch.
03:00They implemented their program after a barangay in Tanod was killed
03:04due to leptospirosis.
03:06But leptospirosis cannot be opened
03:09if the root of the problem cannot be solved.
03:12Because no matter how many people will be caught,
03:15if the flood cannot be stopped,
03:17the problem will not end.
03:21That is why it is important to give priority
03:23to having good flood control projects
03:26and effective waste management programs in the country.
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