ILOILO – The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas has started deploying medical personnel to government hospitals teeming with dengue patients.
The initial deployment was 228 personnel – 16 doctors, 24 medical technologists and 189 nurses – from various rural health units (RHUs), according to Dr. Marlyn Convocar, regional director.
DOH has declared a region-wide dengue outbreak on Monday.
The 228 healthcare personnel were original tasked to conduct school-based anti-measles immunization this month until September. But DOH-6 decided to delay the implementation of this program to allow health workers to focus on dengue.
The rise in dengue cases such as those in Iloilo province has resulted to a dearth in hospital rooms and beds.
This is the personnel breakdown of the initial deployment:
* Iloilo – three doctors, three medical technologists, 23 nurses
* Guimaras – three doctors, 21 nurses
* Capiz – three doctors, 50 nurses, nine medical technologists
* Aklan – three doctors, 25 nurses, six medical technologists
* Antique – four doctors, 70 nurses, five medical technologists
Health secretary Francisco Duque reminded the DOH regional office, however, to make sure that there are enough personnel left in RHUs to monitor efficient and effective operation of hydration stations.
Convocar assured him that some 500 personnel are left to man various RHUs.
“We have enough nurses nga ma-deploy but indi man naton pag-deploy nga ubos-ubos sa hospitals. Kinahanglan may bilin sa rural health units kay iban nga dengue patients didto man lang nagaderetso,” she said.
Last week, DOH-6 approved making RHUs as hydration centers for dengue patients to cope with the rapid increase in the number of hospital patients.
Base on the guidelines issued, the hydration units may accommodate patients that don’t exhibit symptoms such as abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, signs of fluid accumulation, mucosal bleeding, lethargy, restlessness, live enlargement, increase in hemotocrit or decreasing platelet count and can tolerate adequate volumes of oral fluids.
From Jan. 1 to July 6, DOH-6 recorded 15,746 dengue cases with 87 deaths. Here’s the breakdown:
* Iloilo – 5,327 cases with 20 deaths
* Negros Occidental – 3,266 cases with 23 deaths
* Capiz – 2,590 cases with 15 deaths
* Aklan – 2,095 cases with 15 deaths
* Iloilo City – 718 cases with four deaths
* Antique – 670 cases with four deaths
* Bacolod City – 572 cases with four deaths
* Guimaras – 486 cases with two deaths
* others – 22./PN
