CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday launched the country's first "PuroKalusugan" program in Purok 1, Barangay Diagyan, Dilasag, Aurora province.
PuroKalusugan is the newest primary care program of the agency, which aims to bring healthcare services closer to communities by bringing them into every purok.
The program offers primary care services including immunization, oral health, maternal health, tuberculosis control program, nutrition, non-communicable disease prevention and control program, and environmental and sanitation services.
The PuroKalusugan program is a collaboration between the DOH, the provincial government of Aurora, the local government unit of Dilasag, Aurora, and other partner stakeholders.
The program is aligned with one of the DOH’s eight-point action agenda, “Bawat Pilipino Ramdam ang Kalusugan, dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Buhay Mahalaga."
The launching was led by DOH Universal Health Care-Health Services Cluster Area 1 Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, Central Luzon Center for Health Development Regional Director Corazon Flores and Assistant Regional Director Lailani Mangulabnan.
The DOH said on Tuesday that Central Luzon is among the region's in the country which logged increases in dengue infection from May 19 to June 29, 2024.
Others with dengue cases during the period are Mimaropa, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and National Capital Region (NCR).
The DOH said that from May 19 to June 1, 2024, some 6,323 cases were logged; 8,246 recorded from June 2 to June 15; and 8,213 reported during the period June 16 to June 29also enumerated its documentation of dengue cases from May 19 to June 29, 2024.
The agency added that from January to June 29 this year, 90,119 dengue cases across the country were logged, a 19 percent increase compared to the 75,968 dengue cases recorded in the same period in 2023.
Some 233 patients died in the same period, but lower than the 291 fatalities recorded in the same period in 2024.
The DOH said that the increase in dengue infection is due to the onset of the rainy season.
The agency called on the public anew to practice the “4S” strategy involving search and destroy mosquito breeding grounds; self-protection measures; seek early consultation with a doctor upon the onset of dengue symptoms; and support fogging or spraying in areas where dengue cases are reported.