Iloilo Province to declare dengue outbreak

THE Iloilo Provincial Government proposed the declaration of dengue outbreak following the surge of cases in the province in the first half of 2019.

During the regular meeting of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP-Iloilo) on July 4, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. announced he will declare a dengue outbreak through an executive order.

The executive order will be forwarded to the Provincial Board next week and will be the basis for the declaration of the state of calamity.

Based on the record of the Provincial Health Office from January 1 to June 28, dengue cases in the province totaled to 3,897. This is 788 percent higher than the 439 cases during the same period in 2018.

Pototan topped the list with 376 cases, followed by Passi City with 317, Calinog with 252, Concepcion with 214 and Cabatuan with 181.

As of 9 a.m. of July 4, a total of 560 patients were admitted in district hospitals.

“We have to declare an outbreak because we want to recognize that there is a problem. And that based on historical data, the cases are high,” Defensor said.

With the declaration, the province can resort to emergency purchase of IV fluids, medicines, and dengue kits.

The governor said they have already identified sources of fund.

The mayors also agreed that a provincial-wide cleanup drive will be held every Saturday starting July 6. It will be done for four consecutive weeks.

It will start with a barangay assembly, which will tackle the 4S Kontra Dengue campaign.

“We want an intensified cleanup drive as a preventive measure in anticipation of an increase that might happen in August,” Defensor said. (PR)

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