Herbosa: Gov't hospitals spend P100K-P200K per leptospirosis patient

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Friday said government hospitals spend P100,000 to P200,000 when nursing one patient with leptospirosis.

"Yung pag-alaga ng [patient na may leptospirosis], mahirap kasi naka-intensive care unit (ICU), nagda-dialysis ang karamihan nito kung hindi mamamatay ka (Taking care of patients with leptospirosis is difficult they are in the ICU, most of them undergo dialysis because if they don't, they could die)," Herbosa explained in a televised interview.

Not only that, Herbosa furthered, but leptospirosis patients also displace those patients who need dialysis treatments.

"Yung perang yun pwede mong ibigay sa taong talagang nangangailangan hindi yung nag-swimming sa baha dahil akala niya swimming pool ang baha (We can allot that budget to the person who really needs it, not the one who just swam in the flood because they though the flood was a swimming pool)," he added.

Herbosa explained that the bacteria that cause leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals, such as rodents.

"So ito yung rason kung bakit sinasabi namin na lahat ng tubig-baha madumi. Yang mga batang yan akala nila swimming pool yan. Hindi swimming pool yan, imburnal yan na umapaw. So maduming tubig yan. Para kang nag-swimming sa kubeta (So this is the reason why we say that all flood water is dirty. Those kids thought it was a swimming pool. It's not a swimming pool, it's an overflowing sewer. So it's dirty water. It's like swimming in a toilet)," he continued.

There are 588 cases of leptospirosis as of 16 Aug., according to Herbosa.

Herbosa previously said he would recommend to local chief executives to prohibit people, particularly children, from wading and swimming in flood waters due to the risk of contracting leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease (affecting both animals and humans) caused by the Leptospira bacterium found in contaminated water or soil. Leptospira bacteria can enter the body through breaks in the skin, or the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Without treatment, leptospirosis in people can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, trouble breathing, and even death.