BY IME SORNITO and IAN PAUL CORDERO
ILOILO – All district hospitals being run by the provincial government have been ordered to extend free services to poor dengue patients. But there’s one immediate concern: the impending shortage of hospital beds.
The combined authorized bed capacity of the province’s 11 district hospitals is 590. Data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) as of July 4, however, already showed a total of 560 dengue patients confined in the district hospitals.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued an executive order yesterday declaring a dengue outbreak. He then directed the hospitals not to charge indigent dengue patients.
Former Iloilo provincial administrator Raul Banias, now the mayor of Concepcion town, confirmed the hospital bed problem. He cited an example – the district hospital in Sara, Iloilo.
“Sobra kadamo ang admissions sang Sara District Hospital. Kaina sang aga sa pagbisita ko, malapit 200 ka pasyente ang admissions. Sobra sa iya kapasidad nga 50 lang ka pasyente,” Banias posted on Facebook yesterday.
But Sara District Hospital could not turn away patients or limit its admissions, said Banias, because it is a public hospital.
“Kalabanan sang admissions mga suspecteddenguecases. Amo ini ang situation sang tanan nga ospital sang probinsya,” according to Banias.
From Jan. 1 to June 28, dengue cases totaled to 3,897 (with 18 deaths), PHO data showed. This is 788 percent higher than the 439 cases recorded in the same period in 2018.
“Nagapasalamat kita sa hospital staff sa bilog nga probinsya for heroically coping sa sini nga sitwasyon,” said Banias.
Just recently, the Philippine Red Cross donated to the provincial government 60 folding beds for distribution to district hospitals.
“It evaluated our hospitals and saw that patients were already occupying hallways and utilizing folding beds,” said Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares Quiñon, provincial health officer.
Dengue and other patients were bringing their own folding beds, said Quiñon.
According to Defensor, poor patients in the wards of the following district hospitals won’t be made to pay:
* Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian
* Barotac Viejo District Hospital in Barotac Viejo
* Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital in Calinog
* Federico Roman Tirador Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Janiuay
* Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital in Balasan
* Rep. Pedro G. Trono Memorial District Hospital in Guimbal
* Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in Cabatuan
* Sara District Hospital in Sara
* Ramon D. Duremdes District Hospital in Dumangas
* Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital in Lambunao
* Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Passi City
The Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan would also be extending free services to poor dengue patients.
According to Defensor, there would be an emergency purchase of intravenous fluids and medicines because what the hospitals currently have are only good for two more weeks.
“After that basi makulang so we will have an emergency purchase. Amo ina aton himuon,” said the governor.
He also ordered all local government units to conduct regular “Do Day Kontra Dengue” starting today.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. Its carriers are day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes albpictus and Aedes egypti) that live and breed and clean, stagnant water.
According to the World Health Organization, individuals should suspect dengue when a high fever (40 degrees centigrade) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea / vomiting, swollen glands, muscle and joint pains, and rash.
For severe dengue, the warning signs to look out for are: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, blood in vomit, fatigue, and restlessness./PN
