Osmeña alarmed by rising dengue cases

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña expressed alarmed by the rising dengue cases, which doubled from January to February this year compared to the same period in 2009.  

Osmeña said the public should be aware of the disease and help city health officials in their campaign to destroy mosquito breeding sites.

He also encouraged dengue patients to avail themselves of the city’s offer for free hospitalization and medicine at the Cebu City Medical Center.

The Cebu City Epidemiology Statistics and Surveillance Unit had reported 316 dengue cases during the first two months of the year compared to 161 cases in the same period last year.

While dengue cases in the city rose from January to February, the number of casualties did not go up.

Durinda Macasucol, assistant head of the City Epidemiology Statistics and Surveillance Unit, said dengue casualties in the city remain at six, the same number recorded in the same period last year.

The two dengue casualties in January came from barangays Tejero and Pardo, while the three deaths in February came from barangays Bulacao, Tejero and Calamba.

The first casualty in March came from barangay Mabolo.

At least 41 people, mostly children, died of dengue in the city last year. But the figure was much lower compared to the 52 deaths recorded in 2008.

Macasucol said some dengue casualties were not immediately brought to the hospital, prompting them to issue advisory to the public that dengue patients should be immediately brought to doctors.

Those suffering from symptoms of the disease are advised to go to satellite laboratories in barangays Talamban, Mabolo, Luz, Parian, Punta Princesa, Guadalupe and Pardo for free complete blood count test and platelet monitoring. — Rene U. Borromeo/LPM (FREEMAN NEWS)