PB confirms calamity status due to dengue

Provincial Health Office medical specialist Dr. Niño Ismael Pastor justifies their declaration of a dengue outbreak before the Provincial Board (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON).

The Cebu Provincial Board passed a resolution that placed the province under a state of calamity due to what they described as a “dengue outbreak” in yesterday’s session.

PB member Christopher Baricuatro authored a resolution declaring a state of calamity in order to maximize the use of resources and fund the mitigating plans or operations to control the spread of dengue.

This includes tapping the Quick Response Fund (QRF) to allocate P1.3 million to buy larvicides to use on breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

“The rest will be used for miscellaneous, used to buy for additional misting machines and others will be used for other programs for anti-dengue campaign,” Baricuatro said.

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier warned local governments against over-reliance on misting since it may help mosquitoes develop immunity against the chemicals.

It also voiced reservations on the declaration of a dengue outbreak in the province.

“Given the magnitude of its effect and the necessity to immediately address and prevent further increase of dengue cases in the province, it is imperative that the entire province be declared under state of calamity,” Barciuatro said.

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that there has been a “dramatic” or “abnormal” increase in dengue cases since January to September this year compared to the same period last year.

The PHO said dengue cases in the province now reached 5,821 as of last week, the highest incidence in the province in six years.

The number doesn’t include dengue cases that are admitted in private hospitals.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU-7) chief Rennan Cimafranca and RESU cluster head Dr. Shelbay Blanco were invited by Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and Baricuatro in a meeting, hours before the session.

Blanco said there is no need to declare a state of calamity in the entire province since there was no province-wide dengue outbreak.

But PHO public health chief Dr. Niño Ismael Pastor, who was invited to the session, said an outbreak regardless of the number can be declared as state of calamity.

Blanco said there are towns that had no increase in dengue cases.

Blanco said both the DOH and PHO have different criteria in declaring a dengue outbreak.

He said the DOH base their declaration on the number of dengue incidents while the PHO based theirs on the prevalence rate.