Melodina Babante of TDPCU said that their office is constantly conducting prevention and intervention efforts to combat dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases in the city.
The efforts include collaboration with barangay units to monitor communities with high dengue cases, indoor residual spraying, and distribution of “dengue kits” which contains insect repellant, mosquito nets, paracetamol syrup/tablets, and oral rehydration therapy products.
She said the office is also giving an NS1 Dengue test kits for those individuals with suspected dengue.
Babante said that barangay health centers can use the NS1 Dengue test kit for individuals with symptoms of the disease.
She said within 15 minutes, health workers can determine whether the patient is indeed infected with dengue.
“The patient will be brought to the health center, to the laboratory because medical technicians are the ones authorized to conduct the test. Fortunately, health centers are closer, and you no longer have to go to a hospital although hospitals also have them, but you will have to pay. In health centers, it is free,” Babante said.
According to her, the unit continues to conduct intervention measures such as fogging upon request from the barangay, however, she said that this practice does not guarantee full prevention of the disease and may even cause undesirable side effects to the respiratory system.
“Fogging is not the solution, it is only for intervention. That is why people need to keep their surroundings clean. They do not have to do it alone; it must be a community effort,” she added.
She instead reminded citizens that cleaning their communities is a more viable method of preventing an outbreak.
She also urged Dabawenyos to practice self-protective habits such as applying insect repellants, wearing light-colored clothes that amply cover the skin, and being wary of mosquitoes during peak biting time—2 hours after sunset.
If a person is experiencing early symptoms of the disease such as fatigue, joint pains, high fever, appetite loss, and pain behind the eyes must seek early medical consultation.
Babante assured Dabawenyos the city remains determined to prevent another major dengue outbreak similar to the one in 2010, which recorded 10,983 cases and claimed the lives of 88 people.
The city recorded a total of 654 dengue cases and three cases of death from January 2022 up to May.
Photo from UST Hospital
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