By Saul Pa-a/Philippine News Agency
STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna — Department of Health (DOH) inspectors have been making the rounds of hospitals located in communities under a state of calamity due to the spike in dengue cases, to inspect whether fast lanes are in place, and ascertain the prepositioning of blood supplies, intravenous fluids, rapid diagnostic/test kits, and medical supplies for dengue patients.
Undersecretary Enrique Domingo told a media conference on Thursday that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was originally scheduled to come to Laguna, but was called to Iloilo City and Antique in Western Visayas where a state of calamity was also raised in the wake of soaring dengue cases.
“We have closely watched regions and those that declared (a) state of calamity in view of the dengue outbreak, like Cavite, Iloilo City and Antique in Western Visayas as the disease peaks during this month and August,” Domingo said.
He underscored the need for closer collaboration between the DOH and local government units (LGUs) to help expedite the delivery of health services, especially during the current disease outbreak.
Domingo also disclosed that besides the DOH, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Health Cluster had convened last week with the Department of Education, Office of Civil Defense, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Red Cross, and Department of Social Welfare and Development, and that cluster members were mobilized to help address the disease outbreak.
“Kung kailangang mayroong evacuation, sinisiguro din natin hindi magkakaroon ng explosion ng dengue cases (If the need for evacuation occurs, we have to ensure that there would be no explosion of dengue cases),” he said.
Domingo also urged stakeholders, especially schools, to practice the DOH’s enhanced 4S strategy against dengue — search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, secure self-protection such as the recommended mosquito repellant for school children, seek early consultation, and support misting/spraying, especially on selective fogging.
Domingo was in this city to grace the re-launch of the DOH school-based immunization program “Back to Bakuna: Una Sa Lahat Bakuna” at the city’s Central III Elementary School where more than 3,000 Kindergarten and Grade 7 school children were immunized with anti-measles and rubella vaccines, including booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria vaccines.
The health undersecretary, regional and local health officials also visited the fast lanes established at the New Sinai MDI Hospital where they were briefed and toured around the facilities by Hospital Administrator, Dr. Wilhelmina Lopez, and Chief of Pediatrics, Dr. Rizalina Gonzales.
The DOH team also inspected the fast lane services of the government-run Sta. Rosa City Community Hospitals, including their intensive care units and the wards for dengue patients.
He advised that early detection of dengue has a 99.5 percent probability of full recovery. He added that evaluation of children suspected to have dengue is now faster with the available rapid tests at any nearest rural health unit or hospitals.
“We have the means to detect if that is dengue or any other illness, so we could prescribe the proper medicine,” Domingo said.
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