ILOILO – The provincial government is pre-emptively preparing for a scenario where district hospitals may become overwhelmed with dengue patients.
The Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz, Iloilo City could be converted into a temporary health facility, according to Dr. Raul Banias, the provincial administrator.
This measure would accommodate an overflow from the 13 district hospitals, including the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town.
During the ASEAN Dengue Day celebration yesterday at Casa Real de Iloilo, Banias said the provincial government led by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is exploring the utilization of the sports complex as a contingency plan.
“In case there are overflow patients, we are readying the facility,” Banias commented during the event.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports complex served as a quarantine area after district hospitals reached capacity.
Banias further noted that Governor Defensor would be assessing the readiness of health facilities and dengue awareness campaigns upon his return from Metro Manila.
This assessment is scheduled for Wednesday, June 19, during the Cluster Defense Council meeting at the Iloilo provincial capitol.
Two weeks ago, Defensor launched the province-wide “Limpyo Iloilo” campaign aimed at promoting cleanliness to mitigate mosquito breeding during the rainy season. Banias believes that eliminating dengue is possible if everyone participates in cleanliness initiatives, particularly through searching and destroying mosquito breeding sites.
As of now, 16 dengue patients have been admitted to various district hospitals. The total authorized bed capacity for these hospitals, including the Iloilo Provincial Hospital, is 813.
Since the beginning of the year until June 8, there have been 124 dengue-related hospital visits in various tertiary hospitals in Iloilo City, with a province-wide total of 1,110 dengue cases reported.
Lambunao has recorded the highest number with 77 cases, including one fatality.
The province has also identified a hotspot in Badiangan town’s Odiongan barangay with 13 cases, along with clusters in five other barangays./PN
