BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – This southern city has been placed under a state of calamity due to acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and cholera outbreak.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), during Friday’s special session, adopted the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) and unanimously approved a resolution placing the city under a state of calamity.
“The current condition in the barangays requires urgent need to declare a state of calamity so that immediate assistance can be provided,” read part of the CDRRMC resolution adopted by the SP.
With this development, the city can now use its P12.5-million Quick Response Fund (QFR) which is broken down for the following:
* medical personnel – P5 million
* medical equipment – P3 million
* medicines – P3 million
* fuel – P500,000
* other maintenance and operating expenses – P1 million
According to City Health Office OIC chief Dr. Annabelle Tang, since the city government will operate its hydration units in Barangay So-oc, Arevalo district, it will be needing medical personnel to include eight doctors, 25 nurses, nine nursing aides, nine utility and other human resource personnel.
There is also a need to purchase disinfectants, medicines and medical and diagnostic supplies.
“Iban nga nagkalamatay wala sila sang inugpa-hospital, indi kita gusto nga ang rason napatay kay wala sila access sa services. So here we are, we are going to provide access, submit ka lang for treatment and monitoring,” said Tang.
However, she clarified that if the case doesn’t improve, it would be referred to the hospital.
The medicines needed include doxycycline, omeprazole, domperidone, azithromycin, hyocine burylbromide, metoclopramide, hydrochloride, co-trimaxazole, cotrimoxazole, zinc sulfate, and oral rehydration salts, while for medical and diagnostic supplies, the needed are ethyl alcohol, oxygen cannula, IV infusion set (peda/adult), hypoallergenic tape, cotton balls, pulse oximeter, BP apparatus, gloves, and bouffant cap.
Tang added that part of the fund will also be used for the ongoing water rationing after the one-month free water rationing by the city’s water distributor Metro Pacific Water.
“We will try nga mapaigo ang fund para makabakal sang toilet bowls kay ang plano is ma-construct kita sang communal toilet,” she said.
Moreover, the CHO official said they are also planning to conduct a massive cleanup drive especially in the areas prone to contamination.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Memorandum No. 60-2019 states that a local government unit may be declared under a state of calamity when any of the conditions brought about by natural and/or human induced disasters are present.
Among these are when there is an extremely high incidence of a certain disease whether communicable or non-communicable within a community, in a specific period of time, specific health-related behavior, or other health related events clearly beyond normal expectancy and at least 15 percent of the forecasted population based on science-based projection are in need of emergency assistance.
To date, CHO focal person Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna said, almost 50 percent or 77 of the 180 barangays in the city are affected and have cases of AGE.
Meanwhile, there is also a continued surge in the cases of AGE. On Sept. 2, the CHO-City Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (CESU) logged 56 additional cases of AGE, bringing the total cases to 284, while cholera cases and deaths due to AGE remain at eight both.
Tang said majority of the cases or 157 have already recovered while 52 are still admitted at the hospital and 67 are being managed at home./PN
