Most dengue-related cases reported in Jaro district barangays

Following the Iloilo City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) special session yesterday, a “state of calamity” was formally declared in the city due to the ongoing dengue fever outbreak.
The meeting was organized after Mayor Jerry P. Treñas called for the special session to discuss the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council passing a resolution earlier this week recommending the SP make the declaration.
“Dengue cases are very alarming,” the mayor remarked. “We will be hiring doctors, nurses, and medical technologists to do the laboratory testing.”
If a calamity is declared, the city government will have access to the P34 million quick response fund, along with a P5 million maintenance and other operating expense trust fund.
“We don’t know yet how much it will take but I promise that we will only spend what is needed,” he added.
In addition, the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) also met yesterday with hospital directors in order to set up a reporting mechanism for dengue-related cases.
Other initiatives undertaken by the city include weekly clean-up drives, school-to-school lectures, disease surveillance, misting, among other activities.
Meanwhile, according to data gathered between January 1 and July 20 by the Iloilo City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, the highest number of dengue-related cases in the city have been recorded in the city’s Jaro district. Barangay Balabago topped the list with 38 cases, including one death; while Barangay Tacas came in second with 32 cases and one death.
In addition, while Barangay San Juan in the city’s Molo district came in third with 29 total cases, another Jaro district neighborhood, Barangay Balantang, came in fourth with 26 recorded cases./WDJ