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Monday, August 22, 2005
Koronadal to declare state of calamity due to dengue
KORONADAL CITY -- The City Government is mulling to declare the entire city under the state of calamity due to the rising cases of the mosquito-borne dengue hemorrhagic fever.
City Mayor Fernando Miguel said the number dengue cases in the area has already become alarming and would likely increase in the coming weeks due to the continuing rainy season.
A report from the city integrated health office showed that the viral disease downed at least 290 persons, mostly children, from 22 of the city's 27 barangays since January.
The number of reported fatalities was listed at seven but health officials said there could be other cases of deaths, which were not reported to any hospital or their office.
According to medical references, dengue is an acute infectious viral disease, which usually affects infants and young children.
It is transmitted through a day-biting mosquito known as Aedes aegypti.
Miguel said declaring the city under the state of calamity will allow them to use the city government's calamity funds to purchase more medicine and other medical supplies needed in the treatment and prevention of the spread of the disease.
"We will use our calamity funds mainly for dengue and for other vital concerns in the agriculture sector and our infrastructure," the mayor said this morning.
Miguel's pronouncement came after the city's health board sought for a supplemental fund amounting P5.8 million to combat the increasing cases of dengue cases.
Meantime, the South Cotabato health office has pulled out some members of its malaria and dengue alert teams from the province's upper valley area for immediate deployment in this city to help combat the spread of dengue.
"Our focus now is Koronadal because it registered the highest number of both morbidity and mortality due to dengue," said provincial health officer Dr. Edgardo Sandig.
So far, Sandig said the number of dengue cases in the province already reached over 530 or an increase of about 75 percent from the 304 cases recorded last year. (Allen V. Estabillo)
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here. (This section is updated every Monday)
(August 22, 2005 issue)
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