By Bea Rollo
(August 12, 2024) — A lawmaker and a former health secretary on Monday has called on the Department of Health (DOH) to intensify its efforts against the rising cases of leptospirosis.
House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin’s remarks come after the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) converted its gymnasium into a ward for patients due to a surge in leptospirosis cases.
She criticized the DOH for not being proactive in advising the public on precautions against leptospirosis, following Typhoon Carina, which brought heavy rains and flooding.
“This is a wake-up call to the Department of Health to be more aggressive kasi sa panahon ngayon marami na ang fake news at dapat taboo ang fake news sa Department of Health kasi minsan kuryente rin ang nasasabing mga statements,” Garin said.
“Ang problema, may pondo naman para sa libreng doxycycline subalit ang availability on the grounds ay mahirap. Ito ay paulit-ulit natin na hinaing sa DOH pero pinapakinggan lang pero hindi naman [naaksyunan],” she added.
The former health secretary also emphasized DOH’s failure to regulate the supply of the antibiotic to flood prone areas in a timely manner.
“Ang dapat doon, aggressive, ipadala agad sa lugar at nandoon dapat ang gamot, hindi na pahirapan pa. This is a failure of appropriate and adequate public health communication.”
The DOH has reported 67 cases of leptospirosis between July 14 and July 27, bringing the total number of cases this year to 1,444, with 162 deaths.
(AAD)
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