CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health-7 has restricted family members of measles-infected inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center from visiting in the wake of the outbreak that hit the jail facility.
“Kadtong atong mga kaigsoonan nga dunay pamilya nga inmate karon nga dunay measles, ato lang usa sila hatagan ug chance nga maka recover. Dili lang usa kita magpaduol kaayo kay para di ta matakdan. Aron pud di ta magdala sa sakit kung wala ka pa ma immunize sa measles. Dili usab ikaw magdala ug kagaw ngadto sa gawas,” DOH-7 regional Director Jaime Bernadas advised yesterday.
The recommendation has been forwarded to the jail warden, as well as the medical personnel handling CPDRC, he said.
Measles is an airborne disease that quickly spreads and the health official stressed the importance of immunization at a young age to prevent outbreaks such as the one the provincial jail facility is currently facing.
The number of inmates inflicted with measles at the CPDRC has downgraded to 27 cases.
Marco Toral, Capitol consultant on jail matters, reported that from 43 on Thursday, the cases of measles went down to 21. However, yesterday morning, an additional six cases have been recorded.
Toral said the jail management heeded to the recommendation of the RESU-7 to screen the visitors of the detainees to avoid the spreading of the infection inside the jail.
He added that infants, children, and visitors suffering from viral diseases such as cough, colds and fever should not be allowed to enter the facility while the measles outbreak is still present.
The CPDRC is open to inmates’ visitors on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Aside from checking visitors in terms of weapons and deadly objects, a health screening is also being implemented, Toral added.
Further, DOH-7 stressed on the importance of getting vaccinated against measles, especially for children.
“If we could only bring all our children to health stations. The government has provided everything for the vaccination of measles. It now boils down to education. Parents should bring their children to the rural health unit for the scheduled immunization,” he said.
If every parent maximizes the free immunization program of the national government, Bernadas said outbreaks such as the one in CPDRC would have been avoided.
On September, a door-to-door information campaign will be conducted by DOH for measles and all other diseases.
While the immunization program is not mandatory, this program is supposed to be followed by health officials, especially parents who have the responsibility of submitting their children to vaccination.
He further cited that even if 80 percent of the target population gets immunized, the remaining 20 percent will still pose risks and eventually cause problems as they can be potential sources of communicable diseases outbreak.- /ATO (FREEMAN)