GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) of South Cotabato is working on the establishment of special isolation facilities for rabies patients in all government hospitals in the area.
John Codilla, IPHO’s rabies program coordinator, said Monday they issued a memorandum to all hospitals operated by the local government to set up isolation rooms to ensure the proper handling of patients infected with the deadly virus.
He said the move was part of the strategies they adopted to improve their response and treatment mechanisms for rabies patients.
Only two provincial government-run hospitals, so far, are competent in handling human rabies cases, he said.
These are the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital in Koronadal City and the Upper Valley Community Hospital in Surallah town.
The provincial government manages the operations of the district hospital in Norala and the municipal hospital in Polomolok.
“We’re also continually working with the municipal health offices to help sustain the operations of their own animal bite centers,” he said.
Codilla said nine of the province’s 10 municipalities and lone city already have operational bite centers.
Four other private hospitals have established their bite centers, he said.
Since January, the IPHO has confirmed five deaths in the area due to rabies infection, with the latest case only recorded last month.
Two cases each were recorded in the municipalities of Tup and Lake Sebu, and one in Banga town.
“All of the victims were bitten by unvaccinated dogs,” Codilla said.
Last year, the province recorded the highest number of rabies cases and deaths in recent years with 18.
The confirmed rabies deaths were recorded in Koronadal City and in the municipalities of Banga, Lake Sebu, Polomolok, Tboli, Norala, Surallah and Sto. Niño.
The IPHO’s epidemiology and surveillance unit said majority of the victims were children.
Dogs were the most common carrier of the rabies virus, with 10 found positive in Lake Sebu; one each in Banga, Sto. Niño and Polomolok; and three each in Norala and Koronadal City. (Anna liza Cabrido/PNA)
