COTAB ATO CITY (MindaNews/23 August) — The health department in the region is alarmed with the widespread dengue cases that have left 34 people dead, most of them children.
Dr. Abdullah Dumama, chief of the Department of Health in Region 12 (Southwestern Mindanao), said they are “alarmed with the figures we have now, but things are geared now to address the problem like purchase of mosquito-treated curtains to spare children in schools from mosquito-carrying dengue.”
The figure consolidated last weekend showed 6,449 cases since January this year, claiming 34 lives.
Region 12 comprises the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
The figures also showed a 169 % increase compared with the same period last year.
Thirty-three percent of those affected with the disease are children ranging from a month old to 10 years old.
Three year old Ruben Tradio of Barangay Pulayaga in Alamada, North Cotabato was transferred to the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center from a community hospital in Midsayap town.
As of weekend, Ruben’s condition had stabilized. Ruben’s aunt, Manilyn told MindaNews, they rushed the child to Midsayap Hospital because “he was so weak, was vomiting and had a high fever. In the neighborhood there were also reported cases of dengue last month, so we suspected he had dengue.”
According to the DOH data, North Cotabato posted the most number of dengue cases at 3,301 and 14 deaths; South Cotabato with 1,583 cases and four deaths; General Santos City with 676 cases and five deaths; Sarangani with 345 cases and 7 deaths, and Sultan Kudarat province with 305 cases and three deaths.
“Once the case fatality rate reaches the ratio of one dead person in every 100 cases, that is where our attention is highly demanded,” Dumama added.
As of now the entire region has a 0.53 case fatality rate or one death in every 200 cases. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)
