CamSur raises blue alert vs dengue

PILI, Camarines Sur --- A province-wide simultaneous clean-up drive starting this Friday, Aug. 9 and eight Sundays thereafter will be part of the intensified dengue preventive effort agreed during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) emergency meeting held Tuesday, Aug. 6 at the Villa Del Rey Function Hall, Capitol Complex here.

This is also pursuant to the directive of Camarines Sur Governor Miguel “Migz” Villafuerte to intensify dengue preventive campaign, including raising the blue alert status and the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to ensure 24/7 monitoring of all efforts to curb, if not totally eliminate, the breeding places of dengue-causing mosquitoes.

Gov. Migz specifically directed the PDRRMC to alert all response teams, particularly the local Chief Executives and their respective City/Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers (MDRRMOs) and health authorities to conduct a 24/7 monitoring of dengue cases in their areas of responsibilities and submit their report to the office of the Governor thru the Dengue Monitoring Infolink, managed by the PDRRMC.

This will be on a daily basis every 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

All Rural Health Units (RHUs) were also given instructions to coordinate directly with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) for the Infolink management.

Department of Health (DOH) Provincial District Officer Dr. Rey J. Millena, reported that as of July 27, there are already more or less 1,400 cases of dengue as per information gathered from 5 DOH sentinel sites – Bicol Medical Center (BMC), St. John Hospital Inc., USI-Mother Seton Hospital, Naga Imaging Center Cooperative Doctors Hospital (NICC) and Sta. Maria Josefa Foundation Hospital.

With this number, Millena advised that the most effective way to stop dengue is to Search and Destroy the breeding grounds of Aedes Aegypti, otherwise known as the yellow fever mosquito that serves as dengue virus agents.

In line with this, Gov. Migz also gave a marching order to PDRRMC to spearhead information and education campaign in all households, particularly highlighting the 4S - Search and Destroy, Seek early consultation, Self-protection measures and Say Yes to fogging in times of impending outbreaks.

As of July 20, there were already 14 deaths recorded in the province due to dengue.