BJMP records high cases of boils, hypertension amid summer heat

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —  The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has so far recorded a total of 600 cases of boils or “pigsa” and 2,578 cases of hypertension among PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) in various jail facilities amid the summer heat, according to its spokesperson Jayrex Joseph Bustinera.

Citing BJMP’s data, Bustinera reported on Sunday that these summer-related cases were monitored during their jail infirmaries’ consultation for March.

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Other ailments

Aside from boils and hypertension, about 1,673 PDLs suffered from toothache, 1,466 from acute gastroenteritis, and 554 from gastritis.

“We are expecting fewer cases than last year due to the decreased population and congestion rate of our facilities. Compared to 127,000 PDL (370 percent congestion) last year, we have 118,000 (334 percent congestion rate) this year,” Bustinera told INQUIRER.net in a Viber message.

During the summer season in 2023, BJMP recorded a total of 4,545 cases of boils, 264 conjunctivitis, four dengue, 3,013 fungal infections, 3,283 heat rash, 2,125 scabies, and 35 typhoid fever.

To prevent these cases from increasing this year, BJMP has started procuring medicines for summer-related diseases in jails as early as January, recruited six new doctors, and coordinated with the Bureau of Fire Protection for water supply in case of interruptions, among others.