As part of its role in promoting public safety, the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) launched an anti-dengue campaign through various activities held in the province over the weekend, days after the Department of Health proclaimed a national dengue alert.
The BPPO ordered all of the police stations across the province to distribute flyers containing information on dengue to help spread awareness on the mosquito-borne disease, said Lt. Col. Conrado Manatad, chief of the BPPO Community Relations Branch.
According to Manatad, the BPPO led by its director, Col. Jonatahan Cabal and the Rotary Club of Panglao held a fun run in Panglao town on Sunday as part of the police’s anti-dengue information drive.
The event was joined by around 230 police officers including Cabal.
Manatad said that police in towns have also started to incorporate information dissemination on dengue during their regular anti-crime campaigns in various villages of the province.
“Apil sila sa mga pulong-pulong sa mga purok. Naay sila information drive sa criminality, gi-apil na pud ang sa dengue,” he said.
Last week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered its Health Service to assist the Department of Health (DOH) amid the surge in the number of dengue cases in the country.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said an order was already issued to make all police hospitals ready for possible influx of patients, including policemen and their dependents.
“We have not received any report so far that policemen and their dependents were affected by dengue. But we are now making actions for prevention because once dengue affected any member of the policemen’s family, this would definitely affect their job,” Banac said.
“So our Chief PNP (Gen. Oscar Albayalde) has already ordered our commanders to render assistance to local health units and hospitals for public awareness program, and to monitor the health condition of all police personnel,” he stressed.
Banac said that part of the preparation is to ensure the adequate supply of blood for transfusion and other medicines needed to treat dengue patients.
Banac also said police personnel are ready to donate blood for civilian patients.
He noted that police hospitals could accommodate civilian dengue patients for emergency treatment and they will be later transferred to regular hospitals. (RT with a report from PNA)