Iloilo guv orders free medical services

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  — Twelve province-run hospitals in Iloilo have been directed not to charge or impose fees on all medical services, such as lab tests on CBC and platelet count, for patients suffering from dengue fever.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. issued the directive last Tuesday during the emergency meeting with mayors, municipal health officers, chiefs of hospitals, chiefs of police, and other stakeholders to discuss measures on how to address the worsening dengue situation in the province.

On top of free hospitalization and laboratory, the provincial government will also shoulder the processing fee for the blood to be used for dengue patients.

Defensor also called on all mayors to reactivate their municipal anti-dengue task forces down to the barangay level, which will spearhead anti-dengue activities in their respective towns, telling them that their role is crucial considering that the dengue disease is affecting all towns in the province.  

The governor emphasized that prevention is still important, so he reiterated his plea for the conduct of the 4 o’clock habit every Friday in order to destroy possible breeding places of mosquitoes.

Defensor also directed the Provincial Health Office to make larvaecides available to all towns. A larvaecide is a chemical used to suppress mosquito larvaes. “The province has enough funds to be used in various efforts to combat the dengue problem,” he assured health authorities.

Invited as resource persons during the meeting were Drs. Joji Jimenez and Glenn Alonsabe of the Department of Health-Region 6—who gave a briefing on the regional dengue situation—infectious disease specialist Dr. Ludovico Jurao, who gave updates on the dengue disease, and Assistant Provincial Health Officer Ma. Socorro Quiñon who briefed on the dengue situation in Iloilo province.

Defensor called for the emergency meeting to enjoin all the stakeholders to unite in addressing the rising dengue cases in the province and avert a possible dengue outbreak similar to what happened in 2010.

Also present in the meeting were Vice Governor Richard Garin and 1st district Provincial Board Member Macario Napulan, chairman of the PB committee on health. (FREEMAN)