THE Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) has run out of funds intended to respond to dengue fever patients, an official said yesterday.
This prompted the City Council to appropriate P6.4 million, charged against the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, for the purchase of medicines, medical supplies and laboratory reagents for the city-owned hospital.
The amount will also cover the preventive measures and activities of the City Health Department (CHD) such as blood typing and creating a master list of the patients.
Appearing before the council yesterday, CCMC Chief Dr. Myrna Go said the city hospital no longer has funds for its dengue fever patients.
“As of today, we have none,” said Go, when asked by Councilor Sisinio Andales.
Under the dengue program of the City Government, residents who suspect they have dengue fever can avail themselves of a free checkup and free complete blood count, platelet testing and medicines at CCMC.
In her report, Go said there was a 56 percent increase in dengue fever cases in the pediatric ward and a 108 percent increase in dengue cases among adults, from January to June this year, compared to the figures from the same period last year.
From January to July in 2009, CCMC recorded only 152 dengue fever cases in pediatrics and 24 in the adult wards. For this year, they have recorded 238 pediatric cases and 50 adult patients.
However, Dr. Go also said that although CCMC no longer has funds, there are still medicines and supplies that can be used for the dengue patients.
“There were some supplies ordered in 2009 that came in just in 2010 because you know there is a billing for that and it takes many months before they come to us. So it can still be used,” said Go.
With the continuous rise of dengue cases in the city, Dr. Stella Ygoña, chief of the City Health Department, reported to the City Council that they have been conducting a massive campaign, especially in eliminating possible breeding sites for the mosquito that carries the dengue virus.
They have also been educating the barangays to implement four strategies against dengue: search and destruction of breeding sites, implementation of self-protective measures such as wearing pants and long-sleeved tops, use of mosquito nets, and the “no to indiscriminate fogging” campaign.
In order to effectively implement the city’s campaign against dengue, Councilor Alvin Dizon suggested the giving of incentives to barangays who will have zero cases.
This, however, is still to be taken up and discussed by the City Council.