EXPRESS lanes for dengue patients have been set up in government hospitals around the province to facilitate medical treatment and avoid any more fatalities from the still pressing disease.

At the same time, the provincial government issued an order to all hospitals last week to strictly implement the established protocol for treating dengue patients, which include immediate hospitalization.

The issuance of the protocol was prompted by a report from Mangatarem that a dengue patient died when he was sent home shortly after simply being given medicine for fever at the town’s rural health unit.

Governor Amado Espino Jr., who directed all government hospitals to pay special attention to victims of dengue, stressed there is no reason for a dengue patient to die as this disease is curable with the proper treatment.

While the number of dengue cases in the province this year is so far lower than last year, Dr. Michael Canto, spokesperson of the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC), said the number of cases in the first week of September indicate that the disease is still on an uptrend and remains a serious threat.

Data at the capitol revealed tbat 629 cases have been reported as of September 13, lower by 30 percent over last year’s figures, Dr. Ana Theresa de Guzman said. Mangatarem town with 72 cases reached the alert level prompting the municipal government to declare an outbreak.

While Dagupan recorded the highest number with 103, City Health Officer Leonard Carbonell, noted a 35 percent decrease this year when compared to the 135 cases recorded from January to September 15 last year. He said that his office continues to implement the more effective Search and Destroy measure to arrest the rise of dengue cases.

Based on city health records from 2004 to date, the highest was recorded in 2006 with 258 dengue cases. In 2008, there were 242; 213 in 2007, 165 in 2005; 157 in 2004; and 188 last year. (PIA)

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