TACLOBAN CITY – Health officials in the region expressed their fear of a possible outbreak of both measles and dengue fever cases in Yolanda-hit areas after cases of these ailments stalked typhoon victims.
Doctor Jose Llacuna, Jr., health director, said that as of their latest monitoring, 56 cases of dengue fever and similar number of cases of measles were monitored by their office in Yolanda-hit areas.
He said that Tacloban posted the highest number of dengue fever cases at 26 followed by Babatngon with 21 cases, Palo ( three) Macarthur (2) while Tanauan, Carigara, Dulag and Alangalang, all towns in Leyte with one case each.
Llacuna said that the cases of dengue fever affecting residents of these areas have raised fears among them as this could result for a possible outbreak due to present condition as rains continued to be experienced in these places.
On top of this, the still uncollected heap of garbage in these areas would only compound the health risk for these people, the health regional director said.
The health official had called for cooperation of all as government alone cannot solve this problem.
He also called for people to avoid self medication as some diseases like chikungunya, pneumonia as he urged them instead to seek help from health authorities to immediately and properly provide health and medical assistance to them.
Llacuna added that residents in the affected area should observe the 4S program of the DOH to combat dengue. The 4S stands for the search and destroy, seek early consultation, self –protective and say no to fogging.
He, however, said that in Yolanda- affected areas, fogging was allowed because these were done by technical people.
“Fogging uses chemicals that are harmful to our health,” Llacuna said.
Fogging should also be done in a proper time added Llacuna.
For measles cases, the DOH had also recorded 56 cases which were noted in Tacloban, Carigara, Capoocan and Palo, all in Leyte; Oras and Can-avid, both from Eastern Samar. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
