Baybay steps up fight vs. dengue

BAYBAY CITY, Leyte, Aug. 8  -- The city government here has intensified its information dissemination drive and its search and destruction of mosquito breeding grounds in villages affected by the dengue outbreak.

Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari said Wednesday the city government has been conducting fogging operations in dengue-affected villages. Health workers have been deployed to lead the information campaign to prevent another possible dengue outbreak.

“Aside from search and destroy operation of possible mosquito breeding grounds, we also talk to village officials informing them on what to do to avoid the spread of dengue,” Cari said.

The city health office reported 295 cases in 40 villages since January. All cases in this city have been under control this week, said the mayor.

“We are thankful for the assistance that the Department of Health’s regional office has extended to us and to the staff of the city health office for their immediate response to the problem,” Cari added.

The city mayor said they have made arrangements to transport dengue patients to state-run hospitals in Ormoc City instead of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City.

Ormoc City is a 40-minute drive from Baybay City while Tacloban is about two hours away.

Last week, the city government declared a state of medical emergency in a bid to arrest the rising number of dengue cases in the city. The mosquito-borne disease has so far claimed three lives. (RTA//PNA)