The number of dengue cases has spiked from 45,000 to 56,000 this week with 321 dead. Quezon City alone doubled to more than 3,000 cases from last year. Add Leyte, Northern Samar, Zamboanga City and Cotabato City to 33 dengue hot spots nationwide.
Last Thursday, the government suddenly woke up and formed an Inter-Agency Cooperation Strategy for Intensifying the Anti Dengue Drive. Joining hands finally eight months late were DOH, DILG, DepEd, DENR, DOST and MMDA.
The focus is on cleanup and prevention. But, the vital question — why so many deaths? Are the hospitals handling and managing the cases properly and timely?
Florizel de Pano, a vaccine provider, in an e-mail to DOH Sec. Enrique Ona raised the issue of negligence or case mismanagement by doctors on case.
One basic question he raised: did the doctors take a serial platelet count every six hours during confinement of the patient?
Was blood transfusion made or if made was it made in a timely manner? He stressed that failure to transfuse platelets amounts to negligence.
He admits, however, that most government hospitals are not properly equipped to provide the required blood when needed. He said that very few government hospitals have the Apheresis machine which costs about P3.5 million. He noted that Quirino Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Tondo Medical Center, Jose R. Reyes Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center and Amang Rodriguez Hospital and all regional medical centers except Region I have no Apheresis machine.
All private hospitals have Apheresis machines which are used not only for blood collection, but also for Leukemia patients and peripheral blood collection for regenerated medicine.
The dengue outbreak has been with us for at least five years. Why have no funds been allocated to buy the Apheresis machines? That too, is gross negligence on the part of DOH!
Dengue deaths are preventable when DOH and government hospitals do their jobs properly. Again, it is the poor that have to suffer the deaths of their children.
As a measure of concern and sympathy, the government should give at least burial expenses for the dead.
* * *
TOTAL LOOTING. . . The PNP helicopter scandal which featured a purchase of two used choppers passed off as brand new synthesizes the extensive corruption under the previous administration. No office, no transaction was left untouched with overpricing the rule of the day from billions in overpriced rice imports, to hundreds of millions in computer and medical equipment purchases, fertilizers, certified seeds and farm equipment, overpriced purchases of land for airport and road construction purposes, even noodles, books and disks and ghost projects, too. Everything.
The Senate Blue Ribbon investigation chaired by freshman Senator TG Guingona is doing a super job in unearthing evidence to be used by the Ombudsman, DOJ or CIDG in filing appropriate charges.
In the PNP chopper case, some things are clear:
1. That the First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is involved in the deal. Cong. Iggy Arroyo has come into the picture, too.
2. That more than 27 PNP officers and at least 10 Napolcom officials facilitated the scam.
3. That a total of P18 million in cash was spent for the choppers, which certainly, Lion Air or Archibald Po did not have.
4. That the corruption has become systemic in the PNP affecting their performance of duty to prevent crime and to arrest criminals.
5. That no taxes were paid.
Watching the Senate hearings left everyone so angry in disbelief about the crudeness and impunity of the police officers.
* * *
REMEMBERING NINOY (2). . . Whenever Ninoy visited New York, he’d like to go to Chinatown to eat. But, we never ate at the big restaurants. We used to eat in a hole in the wall restaurant on Mott Street which had only four small tables. Noynoy inherited his father’s taste for Chinese food. He likes to eat at the President restaurant at Ongpin and Lily restaurant at Hyatt Hotel in Malate. Last week, he ate at Crystal Jade in Greenhills.
When in New York, I would accompany Ninoy to the fashion district on 38th St. and Broadway to buy clothes for Cory and the girls, and also for sisters Lupita and Tessie. Yes, he was a loving father and brother. We visited a dress manufacturing office where Filipino Johnny Rualo was the accountant and secured a 50 percent discount from the prices of the dresses sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and other high class stores.
Once we went to watch a Yankees baseball game.
In Managua, Nicaragua, Ninoy enjoyed the one week stay where he stayed at a pension house with a Nicaraguan family. The food was like Filipino-Spanish cuisine and the women looked like beautiful mestizas from Makati. We were forced to use our little knowledge of Spanish, but we got along fine.
On the way to Nicaragua, we had a stop over at Mexico City for three hours to catch our connecting flight. Ninoy spread our four hand-carried bags on the floor and he took a nap on top of them while Kiyoshi Wakamiya and I watched over him. Yes, he was a very practical guy.
* * *
TIDBITS. . . Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has joined Senators Vicente Sotto, Gregorio Honasan, Koko Pimentel and Serge Osmeña III in opposing the RH bill. That’s a formidable group in a Senate of 23 members.
Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay lecturing an arrogant Sec. Ricky Carandang at a budget hearing was an entertaining picture. Carandang apologized.
SPO4 Edito Bayhon is the police officer killed by NPA rebels in their attack at the police station in Medina, Misamis Oriental with SPO1 Sindiong and SPO2 Rombo wounded. The policemen successfully repulsed the 30-man rebel group killing NPA Commander Hakim.