Army medics beef up dengue fight
The Manila–based Army General Hospital (AGH) in partnership with the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division’s Camp Peralta Station Hospital (CPHS) has provided aide to dengue patients from Iloilo, following the Department of Health’s (DoH) declaration of a national dengue epidemic.
A total of seven Army medical personnel were deployed to Iloilo City Hydration Unit in La Paz district to augment the city’s effort in fighting the mosquito-borne disease.
Of the seven medical personnel, four were from AGH and three from the 3ID.
“Our medical personnel are ready to extend free medical assistance specifically in assisting and consulting dengue patients. This medical service is part of our non-traditional role to serve the people especially in situations like this where convergence of efforts is necessary to stop the dengue outbreak,” Maj. Gen. Dinoh Dolina, the commander of 3rd ID, said.
Dolina together with Mayor Jerry Treñas personally visited the Iloilo City Hydration Unit on 13 August to ensure that the Army and the local government are in unison to contain the deadly disease from further spreading as well as minimize the damage brought to patients suffering from dengue.
The 3rd ID lent 68 folding beds including 30 from the 12th Infantry Battalion, to the Iloilo City government for dengue patients. The beds were received by Councilor Allan Zaldivar, the Chairman of Committee on Health.
Dolina said aside from medical assistance and material resources, the 3ID’s line units, particularly the 61st Infantry Battalion, took part in clean-up drives dubbed “Brigada Kontra Dengue” to help maintain a dengue-free environment, and blood-letting activities to ensure adequate supply of blood available for those in need.
The DoH earlier declared a national dengue epidemic in the wake of the dengue situation in the Philippines.
The declaration came after the DoH requested the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Chair, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to convene a full council meeting at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, in the wake of the 146,062 dengue cases recorded since January up to 20 July this year.
The figure, according to DoH, is 98 percent higher than the same period in 2018.
It added that the number of deaths has already reached 622.
In a press briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that based on the DoH Dengue Surveillance Report, Region 6 (Western Visayas) had the most number of cases at 23,330, followed by Region 4-A (CALABARZON) with 16,515, Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) 12,317, Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) with 11,455 and Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) with 11,083 cases.
A total of seven Army medical personnel were deployed to Iloilo City Hydration Unit in La Paz district.
“It is important that a national epidemic be declared in these areas to identify where a localized response is needed, and to enable the local government units to use their Quick Response Fund to address the epidemic situation,” Duque stressed.
Meanwhile, seven out of the 17 regions have exceeded the epidemic threshold of dengue in their regions for the past three consecutive weeks.
Duque said these regions are Region 4-A, with 16,515 cases, MIMAROPA with 4,254 cases, Region 5 (Bicol) with 3,470 cases, Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 23,330, Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) with 7,199 cases, Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) with 12,317 cases, and Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) with 11,455 cases.
Other regions also exceeded the alert threshold level, such as Region 1 (Ilocos) with 4,396 cases, Region 7 (Central Visayas) with 10,728 cases, and BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) with 2,301 cases.