A modular hemodialysis facility will soon rise within the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City to accommodate patients with kidney illness who need to undergo regular lifesaving treatment amid the surging cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The ongoing hemodialysis facility, which will house 20-patient treatment rooms, is poised for completion by end of April, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar said.
According to DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the modular hemo-facility, as requested by NKTI management, was planned as a satellite unit for support services as required for COVID-19 patients with compromised kidney who need to undergo regular lifesaving hemodialysis treatment.
"Capable of providing multiple sessions per day to a maximum of three patients per hemo-facility treatment area, about 60 daily patients will be able to continue lived well and even carry on an active life after undergoing periodic hemodialysis treatment at the facility to eliminate waste and unwanted water from the blood," Villar said.
The secretary further said that ease of public access for patients, who may arrive either walking, using mobility equipment, on an ambulance stretcher or patient trolley was considered in the construction of the modular facility.
Compared to regular modular hospitals built by the DPWH Task Force for Covid-19 treatment, the construction of hemo-facility requires detailed planning for all service delivery method from the reception area; separate waiting area for patient and watcher; treatment areas with standard machine components; staff area; water treatment with related fixtures and fittings; and storage area.
The department also built a modular dormitory with 16 air-conditioned rooms with toilet and double deck beds intended for about 32 health workers of NKTI.