ILOILO City – The 10-year-old daughter of former mayor Jose “Jojo” De Paula of Janiuay, Iloilo died after two weeks of fighting with dengue. De Paula said his only child was being treated when she died Friday night at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Iloilo Mission Hospital in La Paz district.
“Napatay sia after 16 days nga pakigbato sang dengue sa ICU sang Iloilo Mission Hospital,” said De Paula in a radio interview yesterday morning.
According to De Paula, they suspected that his daughter was suffering from the mosquito-borne disease when she started complaining of headaches last June 26.
He added that the increasing dengue cases in the province also prompted him and his family to seek medical treatment.
“Before nga mag-suspected nga basi dengue sia gindala namon sa Iloilo to take care of her. Unluckily pag-abot ‘ya gid nagnubo ang platelet niya so diretso sia sa ICU,” De Paula said.
Da Paula’s daughter never got out of the ICU until she died.
With his daughter’s death, the former mayor said he hopes for a medical discovery that will put an end to dengue.
“Kinahanglan ma-discover gid naton ang pamaagi kon paano ma-untat ang ini nga problema,” he stressed.
De Paula was the town mayor of Janiuay from 2016 to 2019. He sought reelection in the May 13, 2019 midterm elections but lost.
Based on the latest data of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), the municipality of Janiuay – with 187 cases – ranked eighth among the towns in Iloilo province with high dengue incidence.
From Jan. 1 to July 6 this year, 5,435 cases of the mosquito-borne disease have been recorded in the province, 901-percent higher compared to last year’s 543 in the same period.
The PHO said the increase is “alarming,” adding that there have already been 20 recorded deaths so far this year. There were only three in the same period in 2018.
The following are the top 10 areas in the province with most dengue cases.
* Pototan – 492 cases with three deaths
* Passi City – 398 with one death
* Concepcion – 315 with four deaths
* Sara – 309 with one death
* Calinog – 262; Ajuy-249
* Cabatuan – 204 with one death
* Janiuay – 187
* Lambunao-178 with one death
* Santa Barbara- 177 with one death
The towns of Pavia recorded 139 cases with two deaths; Dueñas, 122 with one death; Banate, 113 with two deaths; New Lucena, 110 with one death; and Bingawan, 110 with two deaths.
The PHO said most of those affected were 1- to 10-year-olds with a total of 2,258 cases; followed by 11- to 20-year-olds with 2,056; 31- to 40-year-olds with 567; 41-year-olds and above with 191; 31- to 40-year-olds with 189; and less than one year old with 147./PN
