CAGAYAN de Oro City is running out of Doxycycline, the antibiotic used in treating leptospirosis, City Councilor Ma. Lourdes Gaane said.
Gaane said there is nothing to worry about as the city is set to purchase thousands of doxycycline boxes from other cities.
"Unfortunately, pag-abot sa calamity last Monday, medyo na-exhaust gyud atong supply, pero naghatag ang Department Of Health sa ato, naa pud ta sa atong office, naa sa PhilHealth pero gahapon, nahurot-hurot gyud siya even sa atong pharmacies dinhi, hurot-hurot pud (when the calamity hit last Monday, our supply was exhausted but the Department Of Health gave us some, we also have in our office and in PhilHealth but yesterday, we’re almost running out of supply, even in the pharmacies)," Gaane said.
"But rest assured nga karon (that today), first thing in the morning, enough na gyud atong supply," Gaane said.
The councilor said she asked the help of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III in soliciting neighboring cities for 2,000 boxes of doxycycline.
"Nangayo lang ta kang Senator Koko kay dili makaya nato, para naay makuha tomorrow, para manigurado lang ta ba, kay daghan man gud gapangayo bisan karon naa pay nangayo syempre naniguro lang pud sila for their safety. Ato gyud ginaiwasan nga imbis wala naigo ang katawhan sa baha, basin adto sila sa leptospirosis maigo (We ask the help of Senator Koko so that we can have it by tomorrow. It’s just for our assurance since a lot of people ask for it for their safety. We don’t want people to get infected with leptospirosis)," Gaane said.
"Naningkamot ta nga dili mabalibaran ang katawhan (We are trying our best to accommodate the public), we would rather have an extra kaysa magkulang (than less)," she added.
The City Health Office (CHO) has been issuing advisories for residents who waded in flood waters to take the medicine.
Leptospirosis is a disease that is contracted following contact with water or soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals.
Persons can get the disease by swimming or wading in fresh unchlorinated water contaminated with animal urine or by coming into contact with wet soil or plants contaminated with animal urine.
The medicine is provided free to the evacuees and to anyone who can visit the CHO, the City Health Insurance Office, health centers, and the Department of Health.