City gov’t spearheads 4-month aggressive anti-dengue campaign
A multi-sectoral summit organized by the Iloilo City government Friday was able to draw up concrete steps to combat the dengue hemorrhagic fever.
The City Health Office (CHO) in its presentation on dengue situationer revealed that the dengue fever has already inflicted 387 residents with 13 deaths from January to Aug 20 this year.
Based on the specific multi-sectoral commitments and plan of action the city government shall “spearhead a coordinated, sustained and aggressive tactical campaign in all 180 barangays with immediate priority focus on barangays with significantly high dengue cases.”
The campaign will last for four months to kick off on August 28 but it is open to extension depending on the situation.
The CHO report revealed that 112 out of the city’s 180 barangays have been affected by dengue. Bo. Obrero registered the highest dengue incidence with 101; City Proper, 70 and Molo district with 55 cases.
All Saturdays will be a clean up day and barangay councils are required to submit accomplishment report and updates of dengue cases in their areas.
Further, barangay councils have been urged to organize a ready pool of fresh blood donors and volunteers.
Aside from the P1-million anti-dengue fund allotted by the city government, an anti-dengue hotline and assistance system will also be established at the city hall.
“Heads of Iloilo City’s Health Centers and top level management of the CHO will be the focal officers and their hotline available for a tactical round-the-clock operations,” the action plan stated.
Meantime, sectors to include media, academe especially their National Service Training Program, medical technology, nursing and medical students are enjoined to render community service for the campaign.
The religious community was urged by the city government to “dedicate their specific church services in line with the dengue efforts” while the business sector will be tapped on the “dynamic resource generation for various anti-dengue campaign” such as information materials.
The city government is banking also on socio-civic organizations to “initiate mobilize campaign aimed at generating chemical reagents necessary for sustained laboratory processing of series of blood tests as required in dengue diagnosis and monitoring.”
The summit was capped with the signing of a commitment under the theme “Dakbanwa sang Iloilo, Maghugpong! Dengue Tapnaon Naton.”
A community declaration of the city’s participation to the “People Power Do-Day Kontra Dengue” slated September 1 was also made.*PNA
