NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado declared last Wednesday a dengue outbreak in Bohol and orders the designation of a task force to lead the fight against the surging epidemic.
This is after Bohol’s dengue cases spiked based on the cumulative data this year, with the Provincial Anti-Dengue Task Force (PADTF) recommending the pronouncement through a resolution on August 29.
Executive Order 34 was issued following the PADTF’s meeting on Monday, September 2nd, at the Capitol, revealing 5,834 dengue cases from January to August 24, with 14 deaths.
The current record is 451.4% higher compared to the same period of last year, with only 971 cases, thus surpassing the epidemic threshold as reported by the Provincial Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (PESU).
The epidemic threshold is the level at which the number of dengue cases exceeds the average number from the last five years, signaling the onset of an epidemic in Bohol.
Two towns in the province are already qualified to declare the outbreak, while several towns are potential outbreaks.
Towns above the epidemic threshold as of morbidity week 34 are Anda, Alicia, Baclayon, Balilihan, Candijay, Dauis, Garcia Hernandez, Getafe, Inabanga, Mabini, Maribojoc, San Isidro, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran City, Talibon, Trinidad, and Tubigon.
The data was also backed up by the Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit’s (RESU) report with Bohol’s consolidated data, in which the epidemic threshold has exceeded for the past 6 morbidity weeks.
This comprised 8 deaths recorded in August alone: 3 in Tagbilaran City, 2 in Inabanga, and 1 each in Anda, Getafe, and Ubay.
To further deliver accessible health services, as aligned with Capitol’s Strategic Change Agenda, the Provincial Government procured 5.3 million pesos worth of IV fluids and testing kits, specifically for the dengue outbreak, along with additional beds to capacitate province-owned hospitals in Bohol.
Procured supplies were already distributed and available, as confirmed by district hospital chiefs in Talibon and Carmen.
Meanwhile, Aumentado also signed Executive Order 33 dated August 29, which designates the composition of the Bohol Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRMH).
This is composed of Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez as Chairman; DILG-Bohol Provincial Director, Dir. Jerome Gonzales as Co-Chairman; and task force members which include PDOHO Team Leader Dr. Van Phillip Baton, AMHOP-Bohol President Dr. Dennis Lua, DEDMH Medical Center Chief Dr. Nelson Elle, GCGMMC Medical Officer Dr. Jhoanna Rae Cadiz, and PDOHO RESU, Mr. Cliff Michael Gubat.
The PADTF Secretariat is also created to carry out substantive and administrative support to the task force, which includes Artemia Lison, Leonidas Saniel, and Fritzie Olaguir, all from the Provincial Health Office.
With the declaration of the dengue outbreak, the local government units are expected to implement measures, including the enhanced 4S strategy, reactivation of their local task force and Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue, and collaborations with various stakeholders, especially in communication and awareness strategies.
Other expected measures are the search and destruction of mosquito breeding sites, dengue fast lanes in health units and hospitals, proper referral of patients, fund allocation for supplies for dengue prevention, and establishment of a local operations center. (PiMO/JSS)