BAGUIO CITY – The City Health Services office is recommending to the local government and the education department the possible suspension of wearing of skit uniforms by female elementary and secondary students as one of the preventive measures to abate the tremendous increase in dengue fever cases in the city during the rainy season.
Dr. Donnabel Tubera, infectious cluster head of the City Health Services Office, said that the wearing of skirts by female elementary and secondary students attending classes in the different public and private schools in the city serve as a potential risk for them to be bitten by the dengue carrying aedes mosquito thereby acquiring the illness that will pose a serious threat to their health condition.
Earlier, she reported that dengue fever cases in the city increased by 24 percent from January 1 to July 29 this year wherein there were 280 cases compared to the 220 cases that were reported during the same period last year.
Further, there was one dengue-related death this year compared to the zero dengue-related death during the same period last year.
The medical officer advised female students to refraim from wearing the thin leggings because it will defeat the purpose considering that the dengue carrying mosquito can bite through the thin cloth, thus, females should wear thick pants, socks and long sleeved clothes so that the bite of the mosquitoes will not penetrate the same.
According to her, proper coordination is being done by health authorities with the concerned education and city officials for the issuance of the required advisory temporarily suspending the wearing of skit uniforms among female students as part of the identified preventive measures that will abate the continuous increase in dengue cases in the different parts of the city.
Tubera warned the public against the expected increase in the dengue cases in the city, especially during the rainy season, that is why residents should adhere to the advises of health authorities for them to search and destroy the breeding ground of the aedes mosquito which is clear and stagnant water, seek early medical attention for their fever for at least 2 days, secure oneself by keeping themselves healthy and support misting activities to drive away the dengue carrying mosquito in their places.
She also urged residents who will be experiencing fever for 2 days to immediately visit the nearest district health center in their area to avail of the free dengue test being provided to the people interested to avail of such service for them to be provided with the appropriate medical attention rather than going on self-medication which will surely compromise their health condition.
Tubera also claimed that only 5 percent of those being diagnosed for dengue fever land in the different hospitals in the city that is why it is still best for everyone to seek early consultation for whatever illnesses that they are suffering from considering that the early detection of the illness will translate to early recovery rather than await for their situation to worsen that will have a serious negative impact to one’s health condition./Dexter A. See
