Monday, July 07, 2008 DOH: Cases of diseases rise in Iloilo, Aklan By Jay Dooma Balnig
THE Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas recently confirmed the increase of cases connected to water borne diseases in the city and province of Iloilo and in the province of Aklan.
Dr. Jessie Glenn Alonsabe, chief epidemiologist of the DOH-Western Visayas Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu), said the confirmation came out after they received reports of dermatitis, acute respiratory infection, conjunctivitis and diarrhea in Iloilo and Aklan.
The DOH, according to Alonsabe, is also focusing on special cases like leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue.
Though DOH confirmed two fatalities of suspected leptospirosis cases in Iloilo, Alonsabe said this as well as other diseases has not reached the alert level yet.
She gave the assurance that the department has enough supply of drugs for the typhoon victims.
"We have already distributed medicines to local government units, city health offices and various provincial health offices," he said.
As of Sunday, the department is still monitoring three more cases of leptospirosis in Panay Island.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque, for his part, ordered DOH Regional Director Lydia Depra-Ramos to temporarily suspend the guidelines for the conduct of medical missions.
This came after the Philippine Medical Association and Iloilo Medical Society aborted their supposedly one week medical mission in the Jaro Covered Gym last Wednesday.
The suspension of the said mission came after Ramos allegedly issued a notice to medical volunteers regarding the standing DOH guidelines.
One of the provisions in the said guidelines states that medical mission organizer must first seek permit or clearance from DOH and undergo proper inspection of medicines before they could conduct a medical mission.
But Duque justified that in times of calamity, the said guidelines must be set aside as the department is giving more importance to relief operations and assistance to the affected people.
Duque also appealed to members of the said medical mission to continue their noble activities.
Last week, Ramos cleared herself, saying the Iloilo Medical Society and the Philippine Medical Association misconstrued her.
She said she never issued an order to stop the medical missions. "I just reminded the organizers that they should first adhere to the guidelines before conducting any mission."
