ILOILO CITY – The city government here is anticipating the increase in dengue cases while it awaits the arrival of the equipment it acquired following the declaration of the metropolis under a state of calamity.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Philippine Army will lend the city 100 folding beds that will be positioned at the La Paz Maternity Clinic.
“We are preparing the third floor of the maternity clinic for our dengue patients in case there is a need for hydration,” he said in an interview Friday.
The city government is a looking at the Jubilee Hall to be used as hydration center if necessary.
“It will be for hydration cases that are not severe. If the dengue cases are severe, then they will have to be transported to the hospitals,” he added.
Firm Metro Pacific also committed intravenous stands, another friend will donate intravenous fluids (IV), while businessman Tommy Que will give additional folding beds, he said.
Meanwhile, the city government received 1,688 sachets of dengue cure forte capsules, a donation facilitated by the Office of Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne Baronda.
The vegetable capsules were developed by the LifeCore Institute of Biointegrative Medicine based in Manila. The capsules are given to dengue patients.
On the other hand, sprayers and chemicals, purchased by the city government, for misting are set to arrive early next week. They will be distributed to all 180 barangays, public and private schools, and hospitals.
Starting noon of August 9 until August 11, there will be no transactions at the city hall as fogging operations will be done at the city hall building.
Data from the Iloilo City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed that from January 1 until January 27 this year, the city has recorded 1,391 dengue cases with 10 deaths.
“We hope it will not go up but the statistics show it continues to go up. That is why we should not be complacent and we will sustain our cleanup drive,” the mayor said.
He added that the city government is still looking for doctors and nurses as it intends to hire 10 medical doctors, 78 nurses and 12 medical technologists to augment the manpower of the city’s district health centers.
The city government will also be entering into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Red Cross Iloilo chapter so dengue patients in the city no longer have to pay the processing fee when they need blood for transfusion.
Treñas is just waiting for the authority to sign the MOA from the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The mayor announced that the city government will make available to the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), 5,000 square meters of its lot in Barangay Tacas in Jaro to be used by the latter as a regional depot and evacuation center.
He met with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a forum and discussed the need to fast-track the construction of the center. If funds would permit, then it will be constructed toward the end of this year.
The mayor also asked for help to put in place the proposed command center for the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office that will be established at the property owned by the Gaisano Family in Mandurriao district.
Apart from gracing the regional resilience forum, Lorenzana also inaugurated the P32 million OCD-funded evacuation center in Zarraga, Iloilo. (With a report from PNA/PN)
