THE Department of Health (DOH) in Northern Mindanao is urging private hospitals to put up dengue fast lanes as cases continue to rise.

Dr. Dave Mendoza, head of the DOH-Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU), said government hospitals such as the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) and JR Borja General Hospital already have dengue lanes to cater the need specifically of dengue patients.

Mendoza said hospitals all over the region have not reached the surge capacity yet, which means there is still adequate numbers of hospital beds, personnel, pharmaceuticals, supplies, and equipment.

“Kaya pa man sa hospital, ang uban muingon nga nigamay ang admissions, but we will not be complacent,” he said.

From January to July, dengue cases have reached 13,000, 59 percent higher than the same period in 2018.

The DOH-Northern Mindanao already declared an alert epidemic threshold which means the number of cases is now beyond the usual number recorded.

This year’s cases is similar to what happened in 2015, where cases reached 15,000.

However, Mendoza said in every two to three-year period, dengue cases usually increase.