Mayor Sara expresses alarm over dengue death toll in Davao
DAVAO CITY, July 29 (PNA) -- Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed alarm over the high number of deaths due to dengue fever in the city.
Chief Information Officer Jeffry Tupas said Mayor Sara had already ordered health officials to work and find ways to decrease the increasing number of dengue fever cases in the city.
“Mayor Inday Sara Duterte is deeply concerned and appalled at the high number of dengue fever deaths in Davao City with the City Health Office so far recording 19 mortalities from the over 4,000 patients since January,†Tupaz said.
The statement also quoted Mayor Sara’s instruction and warning to health officials, as saying: "I want to see a decrease from July to December, otherwise, there is a need to find new people for this job.
This year’s number of deaths because of the virus carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is high compared to eight cases of death last year.
"That the number of deaths could reach this high is definitely disconcerting and I am appalled because the government is supposed to be doing everything to prevent the breeding of the mosquitoes carrying the virus," Tupas said, echoing the mayor's concern.
The mayor also ordered for the review of how the local government is taking efforts to fight dengue and other preventable diseases.
Dengue is preventable if only efforts to prevent the spread were done and were done efficiently, Tupas added.
Tupas said the mayor also called on the City Health Office (CHO) to closely coordinate with barangay officials in the implementation of programs aimed at eliminating dengue.
The mayor also sees an urgent need to eliminate the mosquitoes carrying the virus and their breeding places if government wants to end the spate of deaths.
The CHO has been regularly treating curtain and bed nets with chemicals that effectively ward off mosquitoes.
The health office has a P1-million allocation for its dengue program.
The CHO on Wednesday reported that dengue cases in Davao City have already reached 4,002 as of June of this year.
Of the total number, 19 deaths were already recorded and 11 of them were children. (PNA)
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