By Lorie Ann A. Cascaro
Four big issues related to health is being addressed by the committee on health of the Davao City council chaired by second district councilor Wilberto Echavez Al-ag. These include the dengue problem, HIV/AIDS, rehabilitation of district health centers in Davao City, and the Aboitiz group’s proposal to put up a coal-fired power plant.
Figures on dengue show that in 2009 there were 4,487 reported cases with 64 deaths while last year 3,078 cases were reported with 85 deaths. “Mas mataas ang deaths last year. While the number of cases went down, the number of deaths went up,” he added.
The committee on health passed the Dengue Prevention Ordinance in order to institutionalize the program intervention for dengue patients and those affected by the disease. The purpose of this ordinance, according to Al-ag, is to institutionalize the activities initiated by the city to curb dengue, such as clean-up drives, the four o’ clock habit, fogging drives, and community organizing.
“We will empower each barangay to create, to have its own dengue prevention program. In every barangay, we will form a dengue buster or dengue brigade which will be composed of barangay officials and community leaders. They will implement the dengue prevention program to be financed by the barangay fund,” he said.
The dengue prevention program aims to search and destroy the breeding sites of the aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the dengue virus; to initiate an anti-dengue educational campaign in every community; and to implement proper fogging technique in the community. The role of the city government is to provide training for these brigades.
“So all year round, we will provide trainings on dengue prevention because dengue is a year-round threat,” Al-ag said, adding that his committee will be on its last public hearing on the proposed ordinance by next week. “And I’m hoping to submit it for second reading as well as a committee report on the last Tuesday of this month so that this ordinance will be funded by both the barangay and the city.”
Al-ag said the city council is well on its way to strengthening the AIDS ordinance, aiming to have a 100% distribution of condoms to the high-risk community, like gays and commercial sex workers. There’s no problem with condoms, the city has a lot of it for distribution.
Believing that education is the most effective tool in mitigating the problem, Al-ag added that the Davao City AIDS council is pushing its educational campaign in schools, offices and companies to launch their own drive.
Noting that the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is overcrowded, Al-ag said he is pushing for the improvement of district health centers and upgrading these into maternity clinics.
“Some residents who are from far-flung barangays like Marilog and Calinan will go to the SPMC for maybe primary cases like panganak (giving birth),” he said.
Most of the 11 district health centers in the city, he said, are for preventive health services like immunizations and feeding programs. The city council will upgrade these centers into maternity clinics so that pregnant women from far-flung barangays will not have to go to SPMC. They will visit their district health centers for maternal care instead.
“Para mabawasan ang primary cases sa atoang SPMC, we will just refer those patients who are at high risk to the SPMC. We are in the process of completing the requirements for accreditation by Philhealth, and we are pooling funds for the upgrading of its facilities and equipments,” he said.
Al-ag said that one of the biggest issues this year in the city council, the city government and every Dabawenyo, for that matter, is the coal-fired power plant proposed by the Aboitiz Group. He said the executive and legislative departments are divided on the issue.
“I think everyone in the community and the civic organizations should really study this and make a stand as this issue will affect our future as a city,” Al-ag said.
The Aboitiz Group, he added, has not yet submitted a formal request for endorsement of the project since one of the requirements is a resolution favorably endorsing the project. “Kailangan nila yan from the city council and once they file that request this year…. I think there will be a debate and public hearings. All of us should participate because there are environmental issues concerned.”
