In a directive, Robredo enjoined local officials to conduct search and destroy operations of all potential breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in their areas of jurisdiction.

Local officials were also urged to enforce environmental sanitation such as dredging of clogged canals, esteros and other waterways; prune thick bushes or tree branches; remove or drain receptacles containing stagnant water; and conduct massive information drive on environmental control of breeding sites especially in endemic areas.

Robredo issued the directive amid reports from the Department of Health (DOH) that dengue cases in the country, from January 1 to July 23, 2011, has reached to 38,876 or 25.85% lower compared to 52,428 cases in 2010. Also, this year’s recorded number of deaths is at 226, wherein victims are mostly children.

He asked local chief executives (LCEs) to undertake the clean-up drive for two consecutive weekends: on August 20 & 21 and August 27 & 28, 2011 to stop the spread of the disease.

Robredo ordered members of the DILG Regional Management Coordinating Committee to ensure that their field officers actively participate in the clean-up efforts within their areas of jurisdiction.

He also directed all DILG regional directors to closely monitor and submit reports of LGUs’ compliance with the directive, a week after the conduct of said activity.

Matud pa sa tigpamaba sa DOH nga si Eric Tayag, kini aron mapugngan ang “overcrowding” sa mga pasyente sa mga tambalanan.

Gitataw ni Tayag nga ang weekend screening sa dengue alang sa hinanaling treatment sa mga dengue cases sa ilang mga kabalayan.

“We are appealing to LGUs that health centers be open on weekends so patients can be screened,” matud pa ni Tayag.

Nauna niini, natala na sa DOH ang 45,333 ka kaso sa dengue sa tibuok nasud sukad Enero hangtud Agosto ning tuiga, apil na ang nadugang nga 6,000 ka kaso sa katapusang duha ka semana.

Apan matud pa sa DOH nga mas ubos pa gihapon kini og 33.5% sa milabay nga tuig nga kaso nga mikabat sa 68,186 sa susamang bulan. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

But he said the disease remains to be a cause for concern because the scarlet fever was found to be a new one and appears to be resistant to antibiotics that were traditionally used to fight the illness.

As a precaution, Tayag advised “pediatricians to report any suspected cases so we can investigate if these are linked to the HK epidemic”.

Health officials in Hong Kong are now on the look out for scarlet fever, a bacterial infection that could spread through coughing and sneezing. It is characterized by a rash and sore throat.  At least 459 cases were recorded this year in Hong Kong, with two fatalities. Hong Kong declared an outbreak Tuesday.

Tayag maintained that at present, there is no report of suspected cases of scarlet fever in the
country. (DOH/PIA)

DOH Secretary Enrique Ona said that cases of dengue fever increase during rainy season.  He advised the students to wear long sleeves and leggings to prevent catching the illness.  DOH continues to remind parents to equip their children with raincoats and umbrellas.

Students are also reminded to avoid wading through floodwaters, to prevent illnesses such as
leptospirosis. (DOH/PIA)

Nagtuo ang Malakanyang nga dili angay idungan ang Divorce Bill sa pagtuki sa Reproductive Health (RH) Bill nga mao karon ang prayoridad sa administrasyong Aquino.  Sigun pa ni Presidential Communications Group Secretary Ricky Carandang, gustong idungang sa RH Bill ang Divorce Bill human nahibaw-an nga ang maong balaodnon napasar ug legal na karon sa Malta, ang kapartner sa Pilipinas sa tibuok kalibotan nga nahabiling nasud nga walay diborsyo. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

Kini ang gipahayag ni Senador Vicente Sotto III nga maoy nibutyag sa giingong iregularidad sa iyang
privilege speech sa Senado kagahapon.

Matud pa ni Sotto nga susihon sa mga Senador ang mahitungod sa P423 milyong gipagawas sa
DOH alang sa maternal and child health and nutrition program nga giingong wala nadawat sa ilang
beneficiary.

Gikuwestyon usab ni Sotto kun nganong kinahanglan pang mohimo og balaod alang sa reproductive
health nga aduna man unta’y P3 bilyong budget na ang DOH alang sa strategic plan on family
planning.

Samtang kampante si kanhi Health Secretary ug karon Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson
Francisco Duque nga mapasabot ra ang giingong anomalya sa multi-milyong pisong pondo ng DOH
alang sa mga programang maayong panglawas sa mga local goverment unit (LGU) sa panahon sa
iyang pagdumala.

Sa pakighinabi sa radyo, niingon si Duque nga report lamang sa Commission on Audit (COA) ang
kaatbang niini aron makita kun giunsa paggasto ang pondo sa DOH ubos sa iyang pagdumala.

Giingong nakaseguro siya’ng adunay na-audit ang COA alang sa tuig 2008 hangtud 2010 bisan sa
records of disbursement sa regional DOH nga maoy nagpagawas sa pondo sa mga LGU.

Unang gibutyag ni Sotto sa iyang privilege speech kagahapon nga miabot sa P423 milyon ang
gipagawas nga pondo sa DOH alang sa usa ka programa apan giingong wala kini nadawat sa mga
beneficiary. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

In a statement, Ona said the DoH does not have ”host employees, ghost projects, and
intelligence or discretionary funds to convert.”

Ona was reacting to reports that said the DoH and the Department of Education were among
government agencies that practice fund conversion on its personnel services budget.

Ona said the budget allotment of the DoH for the fiscal year of 2011 is as follows: P7.7 billion
for Personnel Services (PS), P15.1 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses
(MOOE), and P8.9 billion for capital outlay (CO), totaling P31.7 billion.

The DoH has about 35,000 employees nationwide for Fiscal Year 2011, he said. He also
disclosed the DoH budget for 2010 that amounted to P6.87 billion pesos for PS, P11.32
billion for MOOE, and P6.46 billion for CO.

Ona assured Filipino tax-payers and international donor agencies supporting the DoH
that ”every single peso allotted to and every foreign currency donated to the Health
Department properly goes to where it was originally intended, and then properly liquidated
and accounted.”

The health chief has assigned an ad hoc committee to study the actual number of health
professionals and health-related personnel required by government health facilities
nationwide. The ad hoc committee report will also serve as guide in crafting the 2012 to 2015
DoH budget. (PIA)

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, the Health Department’s program manager for emerging and re-
emerging infectious diseases, said sudden weather changes may particularly be a concern
for those with asthma.

“Sudden increase or decrease in temperature will have an effect on the lungs… Our bodies
have to adjust to the climate,” Lee Suy said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag also said in a separate interview that
children, the elderly and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. He said the cold
weather is likely to be a factor behind acute respiratory tract infections, colds, coughs, and
even flu.

Tayag urged the public to take vitamins, especially Vitamin C, wear extra layers of clothes
and eat nutritious food like fruits. (PIA/DOH)

Nigawas sa datos sa Kampanya Kontra Paputok Surveillance Team sa Department of Health
(DOH) nga niabot na sa 890 ang gidaghanon sa mga natala nga firecrackers related injuries.

Matud pa sa mga opisyal sa DOH, mas taas pa kini og 17 porsiyento kon itandi sa milabay
nga lima ka tuig sugod niadtong tuig 2005 hangtud 2010.

Nasayran nga sa 844 nga kaso tungod sa mga pabuto, 36 tungod sa stray bullet, 11 tungod
sa fireworks ingestion ug usa usab ang natala nga namatay.

Sa 17 ka rehiyon sa nasud, ang National Capital Region (NCR) pa gihapon ang nitala sa
pinadaghan og biktima nga anaa sa 55%.

Samtang ang pabuto nga piccolo pa gihapon ang daghang nabiktima nga niabot sa 240, 125
tungod sa kwitis, 52 tungod sa 5-star, 47 tungod sa pla-pla ug 38 usab ang tungod sa lusis.
(PIA-Bohol/ecb)