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Thursday, June 02, 2005
Health to look into cerebral malaria cases
THE Department of Health (DOH) will investigate the cases of cerebral malaria that killed a cameraman and a tour guide in Palawan and nearly took the life of a broadcast journalist.
New Health Secretary Francisco Duque III made the announcement as he took over the helm of the DOH Wednesday.
Duque said he will order the National Center for Disease Control to deploy a team of health experts to Palawan to check the origin and cause of deaths in a tribe in Palawan where Reyster Langit and his cameraman Arnold Taniera contracted cerebral malaria.
"I am going to have the malaria problem checked because it has somewhat become high-profile in the light of fact that the victims were mediamen," Duque said.
Duque said although the prevalence rate of malaria cases in the country is not that high because of anti-malaria drugs that can be bought and are available in the market, he stressed that it is still important that people be properly informed of the dangers they face should they go to an area where malaria cases have been recorded.
He said the best way to prevent contracting malaria is to take prophylaxis before going to the area and wear protective gear so as to avoid being bitten by the anopheline mosquito that carries the malaria-causing falcifarum parasite.
Reyster Langit, son of famed broadcaster Rey Langit, was the only one who recovered from the ailment because doctors in a hospital in Los Angeles in the US were able to flush out the parasite from his blood. Reyster was brought to the US for treatment.
Reyster's cameraman Arnold Taniera succumbed last Tuesday to cerebral malaria. Their tour guide died days earlier.
Aside from sending a health team, Duque said he will meet with local government officials on how to prevent and treat malaria cases after he learned that people particularly in the far-flung area are not aware of what to do to prevent the disease.
Former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit had said earlier that 68 of 78 provinces in the country are endemic to malaria. (MSN)
(June 2, 2005 issue)
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