INTERVENTIONS VS. MEASLES. Officials of the the Department of Health in Western Visayas are urging government-run hospitals to dedicate a 'measles room'. 'Fast lanes' and vaccination of health personnel who will be handling measles patients are also being proposed during a press briefing held on Friday (Feb. 8, 2019). (Photo by Gail Momblan))
ILOILO CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) has encouraged government hospitals in Western Visayas to dedicate isolation rooms for measles cases.
Marlyn M. Convocar, DOH 6 (Western Visayas) director, said that measles isolation rooms were imposed in DOH-run hospitals in the region, such as the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City; the Don Jose Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo; the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo; and the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
“We encourage government hospitals to convert at least one room into a measles isolation room to prevent the spread of the disease in the health facility,” said Dr. Renilyn Reyes, Medical Officer IV, in a press briefing on Friday.
The measles isolation rooms are meant to prevent the spread of the highly-contagious disease, which can be transmitted through contact with respiratory secretions or aerosols.
Convocar said they also prioritize the implementation of “measles fast lanes”.
“The ‘measles fast lane’ works in the same manner as the ‘dengue fast lane’. Patients with high-grade fever and maculopapular rash will immediately be given medical attention,” she said.
Aside from isolation rooms, DOH-6 also plans to dedicate a health personnel that would handle measles patients.
Convocar said the department will also assure that health workers are vaccinated to protect them from the virus.
The dedication of isolation rooms for measles cases and establishment of “measles fast lanes”, immunization of workers, along with the strict implementation of infection control protocol, are among the actions of the health department in interrupting the transmission of disease in the hospitals.
The department also implemented enhanced catch up immunization for the defaulters through routine, school-based, and supplemental immunization activities.
The DOH-Western Visayas is positive that the region can conquer the measles outbreak.
“We have solved any outbreak of any cause that struck the region. Now, with the help of everybody, we are confident that we can also overcome measles outbreak,” Convocar said.
Since the outbreak was declared, the DOH observed that mothers and caregivers voluntarily seek immunization for their children in health centers.
The DOH saw this opportunity to further the information dissemination.
Convocar stressed that “inter-sectoral” collaboration is needed to spread awareness on immunization.
The health department aims to bring back the confidence of parents to the national immunization program as some became hesitant on getting their children immunized due to “fake news” and misinformation.
Convocar expressed confidence to the media to disseminate the correct information.
DOH data showed that 10 of the 166 suspected measles cases in the region from January 1 to February 2 this year are confirmed cases. Of the confirmed cases, eight were not vaccinated and the remaining two have unknown immunization status.
Last year, there were 245 confirmed from out of the 1,052 suspected measles cases. (PNA)
