Philippine economy

At least 16 dead from dengue in Cotabato

Rappler.com

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At least 16 dead from dengue in Cotabato
The province has recorded 3,788 dengue cases from January 1 to July 19, much higher than the 1,253 cases recorded in the same period in 2018

COTABATO, Philippines – Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco has asked department heads to come up with a contingency plan in the face of rising dengue cases in the province, which has recorded 16 deaths since January 2019. 

The Department of Health in Soccsksargen said Cotabato, which includes the city of Kidapawan, has the highest number of cases in the region also composed of the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos and Koronadal.

In a meeting with department heads at the provincial capitol in Barangay Amas, Kidapawan City, on Monday, July 29, Catamco said that the provincial government should be able to come up with a plan to address the problem, which has already claimed 16 lives from January 1 to July 19, 2019.

Dr Joel Sungcad confirmed the 201% increase in the number of dengue cases in the province at 3,788 cases from January 1 to July 19, compared to the 1,253 dengue cases in the same period in 2018.

Midsayap topped the list of municipalities with the highest number of dengue cases with 508, followed by Kidapawan City with 470, and Makilala with 318.

“We cannot just sit and wait for the municipalities to come up with their local declaration of state of calamity, we need to have a contingency plan,” Catamco said.

Last week, Catamco also went around Midsayap to determine the capability and capacity of government hospitals to accommodate dengue patients.

She assured patients that they would get the proper help under the universal health care law.

Catamco also said the prevalence of dengue in the province brought to the fore the need to upgrade the facilities of its various public hospitals.

The health department on July 15 declared a national dengue alert as dengue cases continued to rise in several regions in the country. – Rappler.com

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