A week after it announced a 17 percent spike in dengue cases, the Dept. of Health in Central Visayas documented 366 more cases of the mosquito-borne disease.
The bulk of cases, 104, are in Cebu City.
Dengue cases rose from 2,463 as of May 26 to 2,829 as of June 2, a Regional Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit (RESU) report said.
At the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), treatment of dengue victims is free.
Poverty should not be a hindrance in getting medical attention, said Dr. Lee James Maratas, head of the pediatrics ward.
“Blood tests for CBC and platelet count here are free, so there’s no excuse,” Maratas said.
“All services are free” for dengue victim in the city-run hospital, he said, and assured there was enough medical supplies in their pharmacy.
“We should not be complacent. If one suffers a prolonged fever, have a CBC blood test to make sure the number of platelets is stable,” he said.
There’s no cure for dengue but a patient has to be constantly monitored and cared for until his or her blood platelet count goes back up.
In extreme cases, a blood transfusion has to be administered.
“There’s no medicine for dengue. What you need is close monitoring,” said Dr. Maratas.
“Kung pasagdan mao na ang kuyaw.” (If you’re not vigilant, that’s when it gets dangerous.)
Maratas said he aspires to see zero dengue admissions in the hospital. To achieve that, he said communities should follow the 4S campaign of the Department of Health: Search and destroy, Say no to indiscriminate fogging, Self-Protection and, Seek consultation.
Four dengue-related deaths in CCMC were reported this year.
Cebu City had 104 new cases and Lapu-Lapu City had 11 new cases within a one week span.
As of latest count Cebu City has 1,358 dengue cases this year, and Lapu-Lapu City has 147 cases.
Minglanilla town in south Cebu is third in the region with 141 cases so far this year.
Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental is in number 4 with 137.
Health officials earlier said the number is expected to increase especially with the onset of the rainy season.
Awareness and cleanliness campaigns have been conducted by the government to stop the surging number of dengue victims in the country.
Last Sunday, the Cebu Medical Society and Rotary Club Cebu launched a larvicide campaign in Cebu City to apply the chemical abate or temephos in pools of stagnant water that are suspected breeding grounds of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The chemicals kill mosquito larvae and pupa but is considered safe to use for humans.
Fogging, which is resorted to only during an actual outbreak of dengue, involves spraying chemicals in the air to kill adult dengue-carrying mosquitos.
The DOH said priority action should be focused on keeping a clean environment and eliminating breeding grounds of mosquitos which can be water containers at home or surroundings.