KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/15 Sept) – The nephew of Cotabato Governor Lala Taliño-Mendoza was among the many fatalities of dengue cases in the province.
Mendoza’s seven-year-old nephew, whom the family requested not to be identified, died two days after he was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital in Davao City.
Jessie Ined, the governor’s focal person on health issues and concerns of the Cotabato provincial government, said the child had high fever on September 8 and was sent immediately to a hospital. He was diagnosed to have Stage 1 dengue fever. Two days later, he felt weak and his blood platelets continued to drop, according to Ined.
On Saturday, the child was rushed to the ICU where a few hours later he expired.
“We were so saddened by his death. We thought he would make it. I was told that what hit the child was a very strong strain of dengue virus,” said Ined.
The Taliños in Carmen town are in deep sorrow over the loss of the child, the eldest grandson of Mayor Taliño from his son Ryan. Mayor Taliño has four children.
Ined, in an interview, has clarified the child caught the virus while in Davao City, and not in Carmen town.
“So far, we have not monitored any mortality due to dengue in Carmen town,” he said.
But in other areas in North Cotabato, the incidence of dengue cases is high.
As of July, North Cotabato has registered 245 dengue fever cases, the second highest in Southwestern Mindanao, data from the Department of Health in Region 12 showed.
The province of South Cotabato posted the highest dengue incidence in the region with 391, General Santos City with 233, Sarangani with 138, Cotabato City with 134 and Sultan Kudarat with, 51.
In terms of dengue deaths, General Santos City topped the list with eight followed by Sarangani with two and South Cotabato with one.
Ined said they have continued with their intensified campaign against dengue in the province, especially on the strict observance of the agency’s 4-S strategy – search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
Also, their campaign is directed towards protecting children from the virus as they are the most vulnerable.
Records show that severe disease is more common in babies and young children, even those relatively well nourished.
Dengue is also considered life-threatening for people with chronic diseases, like diabetes and asthma. (Malu Cadeliña Manar / MindaNews)
