THE Bacolod City Council approved the P17.8 million appropriation ordinance to fund the City Health Office (CHO) dengue campaign in the city.
The ordinance was approved during their regular session on Wednesday.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran yesterday said the budget will be taken from the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) quick response fund 2019.
He said the budget was requested by the CHO after the Department of Health (DOH) has declared the country’s outbreak of dengue to be a national epidemic.
“The CHO will use this budget to stop or prevent the dengue cases in Bacolod,” he added.
Familiaran noted the CHO should intensify its campaign in the 61 barangays including the schools to prevent the spread of dengue cases.
Dr. Grace Tan, CHO-Environmental Sanitation Division Head, said the budget will be used for the purchase of medicines, chemicals, and equipment for their campaign on dengue.
She said from January to August 10, Bacolod has a total of 1, 127 dengue cases which increased by 90.4 percent with six deaths compared to last year’s 592 cases with three deaths.
She added of 1, 127 cases, Barangay Estefania posted the highest number of cases with 131.
Others include Barangay Tangub with 85 cases; Barangay Villamonte, 76; Barangays Taculing and Mansilingan, 74 each; Barangay Granada, 73; Barangay Alijis, 68; Barangay Handumanan, 59; Barangay Pahanocoy, 57; and Barangay Mandalagan.
Of 61 barangays, Tan said these are the top 10 barangays with the highest dengue cases in Bacolod.
She said the two most prominent species that transmit viruses are Aedes aegypti mosquito, which stays inside the house; and Aedes albopictus mosquito, which stays outside, transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, among others.
Tan urged the public to practice the ‘4S’ in households and surroundings to prevent and control dengue.
It means to search and destroy mosquito breeding place, use self-protection measures, seek early consultation for fever lasting more than two days, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.