“After the tracheostomy, Quizon’s condition has [shown] significant improvement,” said Eric Nubla Jr., head of the patient relations at the Makati Medical Center, where the comedian has been confined at the intensive care unit (ICU) since last week.
Dolphy underwent the medical procedure on Saturday night “to make it easier for his organs to function properly,” his son Eric Quizon said on Sunday.
A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where an opening is made in the neck to the trachea as windpipe to allow a patient to breathe easier.
Nubla said Dolphy’s vital organs were “functioning well and all other improvements reported before have remained the same.” He added that “despite the improvement in his hemoglobin level, his platelets were really low, as well as the potassium level in his system.”
Nubla also said there were signs of hematoma on Dolphy’s skin. “These are sort of blotches on the skin,” he explained. “The low-platelet count could be related to the blotching.”
The doctor also reported that blood transfusion was still being performed, and would be “followed by another session of (kidney) dialysis.”
Dolphy underwent dialysis for almost seven hours on Sunday. Eric said that since his father’s body responded well to it, this would be performed on him as long as he needed it.
Nubla added that the comedian’s condition was “relatively the same.”
He said Eric, who was the family’s designated spokesperson, was “not available” to speak before reporters on Monday. “He asked me to speak in his behalf. Updates, now that things were a bit stable, will be shorter and less.”
Nubla reported that only family members and close friends were allowed to visit Dolphy. “The family would always screen those who visit,” he added. “I guess supporters would just have to pray for him at a distance for now.”
