Tom threatens to fire city health officials

Disappointed by the alleged failure of the city to address the surging cases of dengue, Mayor Tomas Osmeña threatened yesterday to fire the officials of the city health department who are in charge of addressing the disease.

Osmeña was upset because the city health office did not heed his order to break into and pour used oil into the lagoon in Labangon which is suspected to be the breeding ground of mosquitoes.

“I’ll fire them. The city health office is inutile. We’ll fire them and get someone who can do their job,” Osmeña said.

He said he already authorized the city health officials to break into the property, which is being owned and developed by the Gaisanos, but they refused to follow his order.

The mayor did not name names but he is obviously referring to the officials of the City Epidemiology Department.

The other day, the city health office reported that three more people died of dengue fever in Cebu City in just nine days, with 101 more residents falling ill because of the virus.

But despite the surge in the number of dengue cases, Assistant City Epidemiologist Durinda Macasocol said the Dengue Task Force advised against the use of used oil after sanitary inspectors visited the lagoon in Labangon.

Instead of using used oil, as recommended by the mayor, the city health officials and the task force will use chlorine or larvacide, whichever is more effective and economical and safer to use.

The lagoon, measuring some 1.4 hectares, is suspected to be the major breeding site of mosquitoes in Labangon, which has the highest number of dengue cases among the city’s 80 barangays.

Osmeña said the health officials do not even have to seek permission from the property owner because “it’s a public menace” and he already ordered them to break into the property.

Macasocol, however, said earlier that they were advised that pouring used oil in the lagoon could be harmful to the ecosystem. With this, she said they are studying other more effective and economical way to address the problem.

The mayor also said despite the high incidence of dengue in the city, the city health officials seem not taking it seriously.

“I’m the only one who seems taking dengue seriously. I can’t even rely on the city health (department). I can’t rely on the barangay officials. I have to push and kick and after all the pushing and kicking and authorize them to do something about it, this is their comment?” Osmeña said.

The mayor refused to answer whom he will task to handle the problem after he fires the city health officials.  — Wenna A. Berondo/LPM