BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has recommended placing this city under a calamity due to escalating dengue cases.
The City Health Office (CHO) reported a significant rise in dengue cases, with confirmed cases reaching 874, along with four fatalities.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, the CDRRMC chairperson, presided over the meeting yesterday with several City Hall department heads and concerned government agencies.
The CHO said that for the period January 1 to August 24 this year, they recorded a total of 874 cases, or 50 percent higher compared to the same period in 2023.
The city health officials reported four deaths, while 62 out of 180 barangays were documented to have a clustering of cases.
With the above statistics, the CDRRMC will pass a resolution recommending to the City Council to declare the city under state of calamity due to dengue.
The declaration of a state of calamity will allow the city government to access emergency funds to combat the outbreak more effectively.
This move will also enable the implementation of intensified measures, such as fumigation, public health campaigns, and possibly increased medical assistance to control and reduce the spread of dengue in the city.
City health officials have ramped up efforts to address the situation, including public health campaigns, knowing and seeking early consultation, and ensuring adequate medical care for those affected.
The city government is actively conducting a series of dialogues on dengue campaigns with barangays that have top cases of dengue.
City health officials emphasized that prevention and response measures and strategies should focus on regular and simultaneous cleanup to eliminate breeding places of mosquitoes starting from homes to the community.
Doctors also advised the public to get early medical checkups for two days when a fever occurs to get free tests for dengue at district health centers. Health officials also encourage using protective clothing and repellants for added self-protection.
The City Health Office has set up two hydration units at La Paz Health Center for the management of cases. CHO is also conducting misting operations in public schools, public places, and hotspots.
The 30-bed capacity hydration units are crucial in providing immediate care, particularly for those experiencing severe dehydration, a common complication of dengue fever.
These units will also operate 24 hours to ensure that patients receive timely and adequate fluid replacement therapy, which is vital in managing dengue.
These hydration units will be manned by doctors and nurses, who will offer care 24/7 to reduce dengue-related morbidity and mortality, especially during this peak dengue season.
City health officials have urged residents to take preventive measures, such as eliminating mosquito breeding sites, using insect repellent, and seeking early medical attention if symptoms appear.
City health officials have also been conducting awareness campaigns to educate residents on dengue prevention.
These campaigns emphasize the importance of the 4S strategy: search and destroy breeding sites, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and support fogging/spraying only in hotspot areas.
The city government has asked residents to ramp up their efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, which are crucial in controlling the spread of dengue./PN
