ILOILO City – Two military trucks of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) delivered on Friday to the city hall 38 folding beds and 10 squad tents to augment the facilities needed for dengue patients.
Corporal Erwin Paraico Jr., 3ID non-commissioned officer, said the facilities were part of the commitment of their commanding officer, Major General Dinoh Dolina to the city government.
“As long as the city needs them, the facilities will be there,” Paraico said in an interview.
Last week, they also delivered 30 folding beds.
The folding beds were lent by the Philippine Army based in Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz.
It will augment the current beds at the La Paz Maternity and Reproductive Health Center converted by the city government into a hydration unit to accommodate patients whose cases are not considered severe.
As of Friday, the hydration unit has three dengue patients.
The city government also turned over to 109 barangays anti-dengue equipment and supplies procured by the local government.
Each barangay was given a knapsack manual sprayer; protective eye goggles; protective rubber gloves; respirator, single half-mask; cartridge for organic vapors, mist, and fumes with low toxicity, a set of protective jacket and pants; a bottle of larvicide granules and a bottle of insecticide.
The city government also suspended transactions Friday noon to give way to the fogging operations at the city hall building.
Data from the Iloilo City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed dengue cases in the city now reached 1,721 with 11 deaths from Jan. 1 to Aug. 3.
The figures showed a 519.1-percent increase compared to last year’s 278 cases with one death in the same period.
As of the 31st morbidity week, 94 barangays have recorded clustering of cases, which means they have three or more cases within four consecutive weeks while Barangay Sto. Niño Norte, Arevalo was identified as a “hot spot” area.
According to the Department of Helath, “hot spot” areas are those with an increasing number of cases for four consecutive weeks or a reported fatality. (With a report from PNA/PN)
