By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .
THE city council has declared nearly a dozen barangays under a state of calamity because of the dengue health crisis.
The move, made during the city council session Tuesday, came even as city stepped up its anti-dengue campaign as the number of people who contracted dengue and the number deaths rose to an alarming level.
Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane, a physician, quoted a health department official as saying that city hall’s response to the health crisis has been weak based on “the abnormally high fatality ratio.”
Gaane said the health official, Dr. Adriano Suba-an, “rightly stressed that the city must defeat this menace, otherwise, we would lose credibility as northern Mindanao’s regional hub.”
City health officer Fe Bongcas said the government has registered 15 dengue-related deaths so far in the city.
Throughout northern Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro, the Department of Health registered 15,095 dengue cases.
“Natan-aw nato karon base sa atong data nga mi-abot na kita more than 100 percent compare at the same time last year,”
Despite weekly monitorings and interventions, the cases continue to rise,” she said.
In its Aug. 2-9 monitoring, the CHO recorded 1,655 dengue cases. But in less than a week, the dengue cases increased by 72.
As of this week, the number of dengue cases reached 1,750, according to the information office of the city council.
Barangays identified to have the most number number of dengue cases are Carmen, Kauswagan, Balulang, Canitoan, Iponan, Bugo, Gusa, Lumbia, Patag, Lapasan and Cugman. Fogging activities would be carried out in these villages.
“Kini nga mga barangay kinahanglan nga molihok in finding the breeding grounds,” Bongcas said.
Carmen, the city’s most populous barangay, accounts for 196 of the dengue cases and two dengue-related deaths.
Gaane said she was worried because the number of recorded dengue cases have doubled compared to the previous year.
“Indeed, there is a dengue outbreak raging in the city right now,” Gaane was quoted as saying in a news release from the city council. “It is now time for Kagay-anons to do something about dengue control in their own homes, where health officials could not access.”
Bongcas said city hall has created a task force to carry out a massive information campaign and to go around the city in an effort to locate and get rid of breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
“Magtinabangay na gyud kita og kinahanglan nga involve na gyud ang tanang tawo dinhi sa Cagayan de Oro. By Aug. 20, magdungan ang tanan nga barangay nga mag-limpyo sa 4 pm,” Bongcas said.
She also called on barangay officials to heed city hall’s call and see dengue as a very serious health threat.
“Search and destroy na gyud kung asa ang mga mosquito manganak especially karon nga mag-sige na usab og ulan-ulan,” Bongcas said. “Dengue can kill. Anyone with fever for two days should seek immediate consultation to determine if it is a dengue case or not. Kung kinahanglan mag-muskitero na kita.”
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