Suspected dengue outbreak in a coastal barangay in Naval caused one death, several others hospitalized

By RODRIGO S. VICTORIA (PIA Biliran)
December 24, 2008

NAVAL, Biliran  –  The death of a five-year old boy, a suspected dengue patient, who died in the Emergency Room (ER) of the Biliran Provincial Hospital (BPH) at 2:15 pm on December 19, 2008, was the first casualty of the suspected dengue outbreak that occurred in Barangay Sto. Niño, a coastal barangay in Naval located a few meters away from the provincial hospital.

Based on findings released by a personnel of the BPH ER, Kyle Mark Gallosa died of dengue hemorrhagic and dengue shock.

In an emergency medical mission in Barangay Sto. Niño conducted by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Naval on December 21, 2008 led by Naval Mayor Susan V. Parilla together with Dr. Fernando B. Montejo, Municipal Health Officer of the Rural Health Unit and other health workers of the Naval RHU, out of the 63 residents with fever who underwent medical check-up, 16 were recommended for confinement at the BPH because of the low platelet count in their blood level.

On the same date, Jerry A. Enriquez, Municipal Local Government Operations Officer of Naval convened the Barangay Disaster Coordination Council (BDCC) of Barangay Sto. Niño together with Chairman Arsenia Sabonsolin and the council members urging for a house to house campaign to clean their surroundings and their respective households particularly in the affected areas.

Based on the records of the BPH, there were 28 suspected dengue patients from Barangay Sto. Niño who were admitted since December 19, 2008 up to December 22, 2008.

As of Monday, there were eight suspected dengue patients who were referred to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City for further medication.

It was learned that the center of the suspected dengue outbreak in Barangay Sto. Niño was in Sitio Sabang and at the back of the Sto. Niño Elementary School. The said areas are planted to nipa.

It was also learned that there were other suspected dengue patients from Sto. Niño who were not included in the hospital record because they consulted for medical check-up with a private medical doctor prior to the occurrence of the reported suspected dengue outbreak in the barangay.

Likewise on Monday, the barangay council of Barangay Sto. Niño passed Resolution No. 108 series of 2008 declaring Barangay Sto. Niño under a state of calamity and further setting aside the amount of P10,000 from their calamity fund as financial assistance to the affected families in the barangay.

Meanwhile, both the provincial government of Biliran and the municipal government of Naval have extended assistance to the families of suspected dengue patients by providing free medicines, transportation, some financial assistance whose patients were admitted in a hospital in Tacloban City.