REGULAR CLEANUP. Personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology join the weekly cleanup drive at the Samar provincial library on August 9. The Samar provincial government issued another executive order mandating its employees and residents to do a cleanup every Saturday until September to curb rising dengue cases. (Photo courtesy of Samar provincial library)
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar -- The Samar provincial government has issued another executive order urging the public to conduct regular cleanup every Saturday until September to curb rising dengue cases, an official said Tuesday.
Samar Vice Governor Michael Tan said after the clean-up drive on August 10 and August 17, they want to sustain the campaign until September through an executive order.
The directive, signed on Monday, enjoins “local chief executives to lead the synchronized province-wide cleanup drive and establish a Barangay (village) Dengue Brigade that will conduct clean up and destroy mosquito breeding place.”
“They will be assisted by staff from the Rural Health Unit in the conduct of larval survey in every household,” Tan told reporters.
The weekly community-based clean-up activity is seen as a strategy to mobilize residents in the fight against dengue earlier declared by the Department of Health as a national epidemic.
Prior to the release of the new order, the vice governor noted the number of dengue patients brought to hospitals in Samar province has been declining.
From 121 dengue patients confined in hospitals on August 4, it declined to 48 on August 5.
However, on August 6, the number increased to 56, but it again went down to 47 on August 7. Health officials recorded 48 new cases on August 8.
On August 9, the number of dengue patients brought to hospitals in Samar dropped to 12.
“But I would say, the significant decline of dengue patients is because of the mitigation that we are doing like the clean-up drive,” Tan said.
This is why the provincial government will issue another executive order that will mandate a regular clean-up drive every Saturday, he said.
The vice governor added that addressing the problem of dengue needs everyone’s cooperation, especially that the number of health workers in the province is not enough to address the health needs of all residents.
“Proper knowledge on the dengue problem and how to address it is important for the people to know so that they can help in solving this problem,” he added.
The provincial government will use PHP15 million out of its PHP25 million calamity fund for the purchase of fogging machines, dengue rapid test kits, IV (intravenous) fluids, and medicines.
Tan asked municipal and city officials to purchase their own dengue rapid test kits and fogging machines.
As of the first week of August, Samar province has 2,422 confirmed dengue cases with two deaths from Catbalogan City and Calbayog City. (PNA)
