Campaign vs dengue intensified

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza ordered the city health department yesterday to intensify the campaign against dengue by adopting all possible preventive measures, including the so-called "Four o’ Clock habit."

"We have always combated dengue with our continued proper prevention."

"Now that the disease has already affected other areas outside the city, we have to double our efforts to safeguard our residents from deadly mosquitoes known as aedes aegypti," Atienza said.

The "Four o’ Clock" habit encourages all barangay officials to initiate the cleaning of their surroundings to eliminate possible breeding sites of such dengue-causing mosquitoes.

These include flower pots, old tires and roof gutters. Aside from environmental sanitation, the city’s regular anti-dengue drive also involve defogging operations and health education in the communities and schools.

Atienza said school officials should educate their students about dengue and implement anti-dengue measures. The mayor also ordered all of the city’s 48 health centers and four hospitals — Ospital ng Maynila, Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo Medical and Ospital ng Sampaloc Medical Center to be prepared to handle dengue cases. He added that such institutions must always have enough medical supplies and manpower to attend to possible dengue patients.

Atienza also urged those who experience dengue symptoms like fever, body pain and headache to immediately seek treatment.