Aguilar orders barangays to conduct massive clean-up

Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel Aguilar directed all barangay officials to conduct once a week clean-up and closely coordinate with the city health officials in the conduct of round-the-clock monitoring in the barangays in the wake of the Department of Health’s concern due to the increasing number of dengue cases in Metro Manila.

To strengthen the monitoring, Aguilar ordered the establishment and institutionalization of Barangay Dengue Brigade composed of barangay officials, health center staff and homeowners for the conduct of the massive clean-up in their respective barangays and disseminate information and awareness regarding dengue prevention and control.

Aguilar likewise appealed to the residents and homeowners and school authorities to strengthen and maintain regular clean up drive activities in their surroundings to arrest the spread of the disease.

At the same time he urged the city health office to continue its disease surveillance operations, introduction of Ovi-Larvi trap in schools and communities and immediate fogging operations and illness source reduction through active community participation.

“While we are fortunate that Las Piñas is spared by the possible epidemic, we could not be complacent not to take all the necessary preventive measures,” Aguilar said.

City Health Officer Dr. Esther Oliveros reported that all health center staff has been conducting fever surveillance to screen and detect probable dengue cases.  Fever surveillance entails doing tourniquet test on all patients with fever to screen vascular fragility, which is an early sign highly indicative of dengue fever.

She added that the CHO has regular coordination with all public and private schools in the establishment and institutionalization of the Little Dengue Brigade.  The Brigade is composed of grade school students who conducts the 4 o’clock Habit in their respective schools and disseminates information and awareness regarding dengue prevention and control.

Meanwhile, Aguilar assured that dengue patients can be covered under the Las Piñas City free Hospitalization Program (green card) as he ordered coordination with the National Voluntary Blood Services Program on the availability of plasma and platelet concentrates for dengue patients.