MikeLigalig.com

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency

Dog bites, despite being one of the top cases jamming hospital emergency rooms is still considered a primary case, and the rural health units could easily manage the cases, Dr, Edgar Pizarras of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) said.

GCGMH, one of the two places in Bohol with a set-up government bite treatment center is catering to major cases and illnesses. The government funds vaccine accounts in these hospitals through the congressional representative allocations.

But with the expensive vaccination shots, a bitten patient has to get, more and more rely on charity medicines a the same hospitals.

Together with other patients, the onslaught of patients needing only primary attention has kept more serious cases aside, as patients have filled the hospital over its capacity.

And in efforts to be as effective in attending to these cases needing immediate medical attention from a tertiary hospital like the GCGMH, a hospital policy is in place to send back dog bite patients to the town health centers where rural health personnel could administer them.

Gallares is a tertiary hospital, and to help decongest, we have a policy that dog bites be first referred to Municipal Health Officers (MHO) and the City Health Officer (CHO), Pizarras told listeners at Kapihan sa PIA Thursday.
 
This, as the provincial government of Bohol, in cooperation with Family Vaccines and Specialty Clinics opened up three more animal bite treatment clinics in spaces provided for them in the province-run hospitals in Jagna, Carmen and Loon. Such a move is in response to the clamor for more bite treatment centers so patients all over the province can go to alternative centers near them.

Reiterating this, Dr Pizarras said only those patients belonging to the catchment of Dimiao, Lila, Loay, Panglao, Dauis, Baclayon and Tagbilaran are given the preferential option to go to Gallares for vaccination.

He however said except in major bite cases when immediate surgery is required, all cases should first be seen by the MHO or the CHO, Pizarras bared.

Though perceived as a drawback in the government’s anti rabies drive, the hospital’s information officer said they have to do it as they can only accommodate as much. 

At this, Dr. Portia Reyes and PHO’s Polizena Rances has begged GCGMH to be a bit considerate, considering that the Provincial Government has yet started its implementation and is still to retrain the MHOs on the new bite treatment and management.

Without committing himself fully to the request for accommodation until the MHOs could prove to be capable in handling cases, Dr Pizzaras said the hospital hopes the policy could slowly discipline the referrals and thus keep the hospital open for more serious cases.

Bohol last year reportedly had the highest animal bite cases and human rabies in the Central Visayas, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz said.

To respond to his, Bohol is se to implement P16M rabies prevention an eradication launch with a long term vision of declaring Bohol as rabies free in the future.


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