FATALITIES. The Provincial Health Office in Iloilo records 51 dengue deaths from January 1 to August 3 this year. Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Friday (August 9, 2019) assured that the province is working hard to bring down the number of dengue cases. (File photo)
ILOILO CITY -- Dengue has claimed 51 lives in Iloilo province from January 1 to August 3 this year, according to records provided by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The municipality of Pototan had the most number of deaths with 10; Cabatuan and Concepcion with five each; Lambunao with four; and Maasin with three.
The municipalities of Carles, Pavia, San Dionisio, Banate, Duenas, Zarraga, and Bingawan had two deaths each while Passi City, Dingle, Santa Barbara, Sara, Oton, Janiuay, Leganes, New Lucena, Estancia, and San Joaquin had one each.
The cases of the mosquito-borne disease have reached 13,966.
The PHO record shows the cases increased by 1,442 percent compared to the 992 cases recorded from January 1 to August 3 last year.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said Friday the province was continuing its campaign to combat the disease.
“We were not silent, except that there was another tragedy,” he said, referring to the Iloilo Strait tragedy on August 3, which needed government attention.
He said the province has been working hard to bring down the number of cases by encouraging locals to clean their surroundings and by monitoring the individual initiatives of local government units.
Defensor noted the success of the “Brigada Kontra Dengue”, which was conducted in all schools in the province last July 27. The drive was able to get rid of breeding places of mosquitoes in school premises, he said.
He also assured that the provincial government was keeping tabs of the supplies for dengue patients in the 12 district hospitals.
“We monitor the level of medicines and supplies in district hospitals like IV (intravenous) fluids, dengue test kits, and medicines for symptoms of dengue,” he said.
On Thursday, the provincial government received a donation of IV fluids from Metro Pacific Water.
Metro Pacific Water has committed PHP100, 000 worth of IV fluids and initially delivered 708 bottles, said Amarylis Josephine Castro, general manager of Metro Iloilo Water District.
Defensor has expressed his gratitude to the private sector, which poured donations to the province. “Our donors ask our needs and we are receiving help,” he said. (PNA)
