ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/12 May) – A noise barrage and motorcade will be held here Monday “to let each and every resident know about Tuesday’s city-wide clean up drive” to prevent the spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever which has reached the outbreak level.
The city government re-scheduled the massive and simultaneous clean-up drive on dengue preventive measures from Saturday, May 12 to Tuesday, May 15.
City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin Agbulos said on Saturday that they decided to re-schedule the activity to give them ample time to properly inform and encourage the residents’ participation.
Last Wednesday, Mayor Celso Lobregat declared a dengue outbreak following the report on732 cases with nine fatalities for the first four months of the year.
In declaring a dengue outbreak, Lobregat cited records from the City Health Office showing that dengue cases have reached outbreak level in April requiring urgent and uninterrupted measures to search and destroy breeding places of dengue carrier mosquitoes.
Agbulos said the outbreak threshold for the month of April is 225 cases but the actual reported cases for the period reached 234.
The dengue cases that have registered for the past four months this year are higher by 426 cases compared to last year’s 306 covering the same period.
The city government has allocated P553,000 from its emergency funds to purchase larvicides and other chemicals to be used in the campaign against dengue.
Agbulos said he met all officials from the city’s 98 barangays on Friday to seek their support and cooperation in the fight against dengue.
During the meeting, Agbulos said Lobregat has distributed mosquito swatters to the barangay officials to help in the preventive measures.
Lobregat emphasized there is an urgent need to undertake immediate interventions to control and prevent the spread of dengue fever in this city by implementing the “4S” strategy of the Department of Health (DOH) but not limited to the following: search and destroy breeding sites of dengue mosquitoes, self protection (using mosquito nets, repellent, protecting clothing, seek early consultation and management and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
He has also appealed for voluntary blood donations to ensure availability of supply of blood for dengue patients at the local Red Cross blood bank.
Agbulos also convened the representatives of private hospitals and other health facilities including the Zamboanga City Medical Center and other health personnel to talk on the possibility of setting up fast lanes for dengue patients. (MindaNews)