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August 10, 2005

The Freeman - Cebu, Philippines

City gets 5 more mistblowers to combat dengue

By Joeberth M. Ocao and Jasmin R. Uy

To boost the city’s campaign against dengue outbreak, the city health office has acquired five more newly purchased gasoline-run mistblowers to augment the existing five mistblowers that are being used in 26 affected barangays in the city.

The five new mistblowers were requested by Councilor Jack Jakosalem, head of the city’s committee on energy, transportation, communication and other utilities supposedly for agricultural purposes, however, Jakosalem said the dengue outbreak is a much more pressing concern.

The new mistblowers cost P48,000 each and is run by 3.5 horsepower. The city health office reportedly has chemicals ready for misting the affected barangays.

But Councilor Christopher Alix, head of the city’s committee on health, hospital services and sanitation, said he believes the 10 mistblowes are not enough to immediately combat the spread of dengue. He said that with the 26 affected barangays, it would take around a week each to conduct misting in the three most affected barangays of Banawa, Lahug and Guadalupe.

Forty-six people have been affected while two died due to dengue in barangay Banawa. In barangay Guadalupe, 36 have been recorded sick and one dead while 37 have been recorded sick and one dead in barangay Lahug.

Two deaths were recorded in barangay Babag while one death was recorded in barangays Tisa, Talamban, Capitol, Quiot, Mabolo, Calamba, Sambag 1,and Labangon.

The city council has already declared the city a calamity area with the city government deciding to spend about P4.5 million to combat the virus this year. P1.5 million of which has been spent to purchase the chemical lambda-cyhalothrin. The chemical costs P3,000 per liter.

Meanwhile, 43 patients are confined at the VSMMC for dengue, nine of which are suffering from shock, according to hospital records. VSMMC Chief Filomena delos Santos said the number of dengue cases is already alarming in the region as there have been a surge in the number of patients confined in VSMMC.

“The situation is not normal as we have a large number of patients here. We have to open another ward for them as they have continued to grow in number,” Delos Santos said.

She said VSMMC has asked for medicine and equipment from Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in order to contain the disease.