GenSan pushes calamity declaration due to dengue

FILE: General Santos City Hall (Photo By Ryan Jose Ruiz III – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) recommended on Friday the declaration of the city under state of calamity due to the rising incidence of dengue fever.

Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., head of the CDRRM Office, said the move is in line with the local government’s efforts to contain the continuing spread of the disease, which already reached the outbreak level.

Dacera said the recommendation was endorsed to the city council or Sangguniang Panlungsod by City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, who chairs the CDRRMC.

The calamity declaration will allow the city government to use 30 percent of its emergency or quick response fund to augment the ongoing anti-dengue interventions within the city’s 26 barangays.

“Our goal is to effectively stop the spread of dengue to prevent more infections and deaths,” he said in an interview.

From January 1 to August 9, the recorded dengue cases in the city already reached a total of 791, with three confirmed deaths, breaching the epidemic threshold.

Dr. Rochelle Oco, City Health Office (CHO) chief, said Barangay Calumpang posted the most number of cases with 134, followed by Labangal with 97, Fatima with 85, and San Isidro with 70.

She submitted a request to the CDRRMC for the release of additional funds for its anti-dengue interventions at the community level.

These include the conduct of massive information and education campaigns in schools and local communities, in coordination with the barangay councils.

Oco said they had proposed the establishment of rehydration centers in the city’s rural health units and the purchase of additional dengue NS1 rapid test kits.