BAGUIO CITY: Dengue cases in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has started a downtrend but a regional Department of Health (DOH) official urged the public not to be complacent.
‘We are now on Code White with cases in the last two weeks showing a decreasing trend,’ Alexander Baday, DOH-CAR Entomologist lll, said in a press briefing at the regional office here on Thursday.
Data shows the region posted a 67-percent drop in cases in the recent two weeks compared to the previous two weeks, with Abra posting a 61 percent drop; Apayao, 64 percent; Baguio City, 62 percent; Benguet, 77 percent; Ifugao, 50 percent; Kalinga, 54 percent; and Mountain Province, 59 percent.
From Jan. 1 to Aug. 3, 2024, the region posted a 163 percent increase in cases with 9,892 cases having 22 deaths compared to the 3,762 cases with six deaths in the same period in 2023, thus the advisories to the local government units (LGUs) for their immediate action.
‘We attribute the improvement and decreasing trend to the fast action of
the local government units and the people who adhered to the call to observe cleanliness, conduct regular cleaning activities and to find and destroy mosquito breeding sites,’ Baday said.
Baday said dengue fever is a year-round illness and is no longer associated to the rainy season.
Since Jan. 1 this year, the DOH has distributed to the local governments a total of PHP78.25 million worth of logistics augmentation in the form of dengue rapid diagnostic test, oral rehydration solution, intravenous (IV) fluids, adulticides, larvicides, insect treated nets and curtains, insecticide treated bed nets and drum net covers.
Baday said they have requested an additional PHP7 million from the DOH’s quick response fund to sustain current activities against dengue fever.
He added hospitals have been directed to establish fast lanes for dengue-suspected patients.
No let up vs. dengue
Dr. Leamor Fangonilo, public health unit head of the DOH-run Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), said they are still ex
periencing crowding in the hospital due to the dengue-infected patients.
‘We have expanded our beds to accommodate all those needing hospital confinement but for those who are no longer in a critical condition, we refer them to the rural health units so that we do not exhaust all beds for dengue,’ she said.
Fangonilo said at least one third of their pediatric section has dengue fever patients.
She advised patients or guardians of patients to seek immediate medical attention and not to wait for the situation to shift to critical state before availing of medical intervention.
Source : Philippines News agency
