Nolcom airlifts 23 dengue patients from Batanes Island, 1 dies before transit

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The military has been airlifting 23 dengue patients from the Batanes island town of Itbayat where an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease has occurred.

The Armed Forces’ Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) based in Camp Aquino in Tarlac City began flying the patients to the Basco Provincial Hospital in the capital town of Basco in July 5, said Nolcom public information officer Lt. Col. Isagani Nato on Saturday (July 7).

A child, one of the three patients in critical condition, died in Itbayat before transit on Friday (July 6), he said.

Nolcom deployed a Philippine Air Force’s C295 cargo aircraft and the Philippine Coast Guard’s small Islander reconnaisance plane at the request of Gov. Marilou Cayco, who said a hospital on Itbayat did not have the capacity to treat dengue patients.

The first three dengue cases in Itbayat were recorded in February while 10 patients were treated from May 29 to the first week of June, according to Dr. Ma. Jennifer Robillos, medical officer of Itbayat District Hospital.

Cayco earlier sent two doctors to Itbayat to help prevent an outbreak. Two more patients needed to be brought to Basco at posting time.