SAN JOSE, Antique – The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) seeks to allocate around P5 million to purchase medical supplies as number of dengue patients here continue to rise.
The local council held a meeting yesterday to amend Resolution No. 4, series of 2019 which originally declares the province under state of calamity due to El Niño. The amendment included dengue in the declaration.
The fund will be from the province’s local disaster risk reduction and management (LDRRM) fund to address the widespread of dengue in the province.
“The P5-million calamity fund intended for dengue patients may not really be enough but at least it could already make available some hospital supplies,” Antique acting Governor Edgar Denosta said
The amendment will be submitted to the provincial board and subject to their approval during next week’s regular session.
“We have to declare the state of calamity so that there would be funds to be used for the intravenous fluids needed by patients,” said Antique Provincial Board member Mayella Plameras-Ladislao.
Plameras-Ladislao, who also chairs the committee on health at the provincial board, added that the family of affected dengue patients are also in need of fresh frozen plasma from the Philippine Red Cross Antique Chapter which will require additional processing and transportation cost.
According to the latest data from the Integrated Provincial Health Office, the current number of cases of dengue is at 476. From January 1 until July 7, there have been five deaths or 55% higher compared to the same period last year with 308 cases. (With a report from PNA/PN)
