N. Cotabato records 16 dengue deaths, 3.7k cases

KIDAPAWAN CITY – North Cotabato province has the highest number of dengue fatalities so far in Region 12, prompting Governor Nancy Catamco to mobilize all agencies to help contain the deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Dr. Joel Sungcad, the provincial health officer, reported to Catamco that North Cotabato registered 3,788 dengue cases with 16 fatalities from January 1 to July 19 this year.

“With the figure, North Cotabato has the highest number of fatalities in the region,” Sungcad said.

Compared to the same period last year, Sungcad said North Cotabato has only 1,253 dengue cases.

This year, the town of Midsayap topped the list of areas in the province with high dengue cases at 508, followed by Kidapawan City (470), and Makilala (318).

Catamco on Monday said she called for the immediate convening of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to "arrest the fast-rising dengue cases in this city and the 17 towns of the province".

“We cannot just sit and wait for the municipalities to come up with their local declaration of a state of calamity, we need to have a contingency plan,” the governor said during a management meeting with the PDRRMC and other provincial department heads.

She directed the PDDRMC to come up with an immediate recommendation for the provincial board to act on the matter appropriately. (PNA)