• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Dengue cases in Negros Occidental increased by 75 percent in the first seven months of the year compared to the cases recorded during the same period in 2023, a report of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) showed.
Dr. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said on Wednesday (Aug. 7) that they activated the dengue fast lanes in all district hospitals and rural health units with the surge of dengue cases.
PHO recorded 1,520 dengue cases, including six deaths, from Jan. 1 to Aug. 3 this year as against the 867 cases last year, registering an increase of 75.32 percent
Pinongan said that all Capitol-managed hospitals are full of patients, especially those suffering from dengue, as she also received reports that even private hospitals are filled with dengue patients.
Sipalay City logged the most number of dengue cases at 148, followed by Hinoba-an, 130, and Kabankalan City, 105.
Pinongan said that she instructed government hospital chiefs to add more beds, and to set up additional wards for dengue patients, if space is allowed.
The age-group with the most number of cases is one to 10 years old.
In the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, 329 dengue cases, including one fatality, were reported, higher by 11.5 percent, compared to 295 cases last year.
Pinongan said that she asked the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City to accommodate patients with tertiary level cases.
Despite the increase, the number of dengue cases in the province is still below the alert level threshold, Pinongan said.
The PHO chief called on the Negrenses to clean their surroundings, by removing stagnant water, which is the breeding ground for mosquitoes. | GB
