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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Nalzaro: Why quarrel over dengue?
By Bobby Nalzaro
I cannot understand why our officials are quarreling over the Cebu City Council's declaration of a state of calamity following the rising cases of dengue in the city. Health officials are insisting the recorded cases have not yet reached the calamity level, though it is already alarming.
Well, we cannot blame the councilors for acting with dispatch. I understand that before passing that resolution, they also sought the opinion of people with full knowledge on the matter.
The Council's move was preemptive, sort of, and there is nothing anomalous in it. Under a state of calamity, some audit rules are dispensed with and it is easy to release funds. But this does not mean there are no spending restrictions. So what's the big fuss?
With the funds, it is already up to city officials, in consultation with the health department, what to prioritize in the fight against dengue.
By the way, those mist blowers bought from Germany that Councilor Jack Jakosalem showed to reporters were ordered several months before the dengue outbreak. They were delivered only this week. Jakosalem was the one who presented these to the media because he sponsored the resolution for the purchase.
If the dengue threat subsides, those mist blowers can be used to spray mangoes and other fruit bearing trees. (Or Jack can use them on abusive drivers once he sits as Citom chairman). I hope, though that our councilors will also look into the plight of the Cebu City Medical Center, especially its blood bank.
As for the insinuation that the councilors prioritized the purchase of equipment and chemicals so they can get commissions, we will leave that to their individual conscience. Receiving kickbacks at the expense of the sufferings and even the lives of dengue patients is condemnable. But the accusation may have been a wild one.
Let us stop these petty quarrels and unite instead in fighting dengue. As parents, it is not easy to see our children sick with it. Believe me, because I experienced it. My 16-year-old son was hospitalized for one week last April because of dengue.
Thank God he survived. Pero makapangawot ta sa di katol.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com/ 0919-3181404)
(August 13, 2005 issue)
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