GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 11 April) – Health authorities in Region 12 urged anew residents to take the necessary precaution against the emergence of various common illnesses and infections in the ongoing summer season.
Dr. Marlyn Convocar, Department of Health (DOH) Region 12 director, said the prevailing unusually intense warm weather in the area could cause a rise in cases of infections like sore eyes and some skin diseases as well as common illnesses like cough and colds.
She said these illnesses were among the six common ailments that were prevalent during summer time based on the DOH’s records.
Dubbed “6S,” the agency said these summer ailments are “sore eyes, sunburn, sipon at ubo, suka at diarrhea, sakit sa balat and sakmal ng aso.”
Convocar said residents should not take sore eyes infections lightly as any scratch on the affected eyes could trigger serious complications.
She said they should avoid getting sun burns as they might lead to some skin allergies or infections.
“Previously, the identified intense periods were from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and we were told to avoid direct exposure to sunlight during these times. But this is no longer the case since it’s already quite hot by 8 a.m. and that extends even up to 4 p.m.,” Convocar sad.
Aside from avoiding direct exposure to sunlight, she said it is also a must to drink eight to 12 glasses of water a day to prevent possible dehydration.
When going out of their houses, the official said people should wear light clothing as well as use umbrellas and headgears.
This city and other parts of Southwestern Mindanao have been experiencing unusually intense warm weather in the last several weeks due to the onset of the summer season.
On Wednesday last week, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the area’s temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius, which was the highest so far for this year.
But in its Thursday forecast, the agency said the weather in this city and the neighboring areas will be “partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms.” (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)