Mayor: 13 more CHO doctors needed

The Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) recently declared the city’s dengue outbreak over.
“[Regarding] cases for two consecutive weeks, we are already below the epidemic threshold,” explained CHO officer-in-charge, Dr. Annabelle Tang.
However, she still advised the public to continue taking preventative measures against the infection.
“We should not be complacent,” the city official urged. “We need to continue anti-dengue activities in schools and barangays, particularly regular clean-up drives to be rid of mosquito breeding places.”
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the CHO needs 13 more doctors in order to boost operations.
The city government had earlier hired nurses and medical technologists to cater to the needs of dengue patients.
A “state of calamity” was declared last July due to the dengue outbreak declaration.
Last October, the Department of Health-Region VI (DOH-6) revealed the number of dengue cases in the region fell below the epidemic threshold. According to DOH-6 epidemiologist, Dr. Glen Alonsabe, “I hope that this will continue.”
“Naganubo na nga naganubo na ang aton mga kaso since sometime first of week August (The number of cases in the region have been in decline since the first week of August),” he added.
At the time, the regional official affirmed they would not be lowering their guard with regard to the viral disease but stated every province in the region reported a decline in dengue cases./WDJ