published August 5, 2010 in BusinessWorld
PALO, Leyte-Eleven patients afflicted with dengue fever have died in the past three weeks, raising the toll in Eastern Visayas and prompting local Health officials to step up efforts to prevent an outbreak.
Confirmed cases have reached 5,226 as of this week compared with 4,030 three weeks ago. Each of the six provinces in the region has at least one fatality, said Roderick Boyd S. Cerro, Department of Health (DoH) regional sentinel nurse.
Eastern Visayas ranks second next to the Cotabato area with the most number of dengue victims in the country.
Mr. Cerro said they have stepped up the 4S campaign, which stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
"In our recent command conference, we were instructed by our regional director to step up activities. We will see the results after three weeks," Mr. Cerro said.
Hospitals have been encouraged to set up dengue wards.
Leyte has 1,049 confirmed cases with 13 deaths; Eastern Samar, 769 patients, seven fatalities; Samar, 535 victims with 12 deaths; Biliran, 213 cases with a single death; and Southern Leyte, 65 victims with two deaths.
Of all cities in the region, Tacloban has the highest number of patients at 1,279 with 13 deaths; and Calbayog, 403 with five deaths. Other cities have 40 to 145 cases.
Jaime Opinion, Tacloban health officer, said the rising number of cases might prompt the city government to declare a state of calamity and an outbreak. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
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