CEBU, Philippines - The number of feverish inmates in the Mandaue City Jail dropped to 28 as of yesterday from 62 the other day.
This as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-7 claimed that the significantly high number of inmates at Mandaue City Jail that manifested flu-like symptoms last Friday was the first time that a BJMP-controlled facility registered a great number of inmates having fever at once.
Sr. Insp. Mary Jane Inopia, chief of Community Relations Service of BJMP, said that the BJMP received a report that the number of febrile inmates went down to 28 from the 62 who had fever the other day.
Inopia said that the BJMP has already coordinated with the Department of Health-7 as well as the City health office of Mandaue City, both of which responded positively.
Prior to the incident, the BJMP National headquarters and BJMP-7 have already issued guidelines on Influenza A(H1N1), Inopia said.
Medical supplies such as gloves, masks, disinfectants and medicines were already distributed to all 30 BJMP-controlled jails within the region. Thermo scanners were provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Cebu City jail and digital thermometers were also given by BJMP-7 to its jail facilities.
Meanwhile, the DOH-7 instructed the MCJ management to limit their visitors —except for lawyers and doctors— or if possible, suspend their visiting hours until results of the random swab sampling, conducted among the sick inmates comes out anytime today or the next few days.
DOH-7 regional director Susana Madarieta said that this is a precautionary measure in case inmates will be found positive of H1N1.
She added that they highly advised the jail management to isolate the sick inmates from the healthy ones to lessen the chance of viral transmission but the management has already informed that it is impossible due to lack of space.
Considering the limitations, Madarieta said that they instead focused on treating the patients immediately, especially those with pre-existing conditions, so they will not be able to transmit the disease to others.
She said that they already have the list of those with pre-existing conditions and out of those who have fallen ill last week, 61 have other diseases like Tuberculosis, asthma, hypertension and mostly skin diseases.
Only those with TB, asthma, hypertension and similar critical conditions will be given anti-virals according to DOH.
Disinfectants have been provided and DOH has given the management instructions on how sanitation can be maintained inside the detention center.
DOH-7 also requested the MCJ to put up hand washing facilities in all corners to ensure that inmates can exercise proper hygiene.
Proper hygiene is what DOH-7 highly advised the inmates to increase their resistance to any diseases.
Madarieta said that they will continue to monitor the situation and said that there is nothing alarming yet because the worst can be prevented if appropriate measures will be taken. — Niña G. Sumacot and Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)