THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) has directed local governments to check the capacities of local health facilities in preparation for a possible second wave of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
"We told them to assure their hospital capacities if cases increase in their area and to engage both private and local government-run hospitals," Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque II said yesterday.
Under the 1991 Local Government Code, provincial and municipal health facilities were decentralized to local government units.
Mr. Duque said the DoH recently held the fourth command conference "to let everyone in the regions, even the local government units, know that we are shifting from containment to mitigation in select areas where we have evidence of community outbreak."
The DoH last month shifted its scheme to address the virus’s spread to mitigation from containment and focus resources on confirmed cases.
The department has released revised guidelines for home care, quarantine and school suspension in case of infection.
"The important is that we have different referral levels — from the rural health units and barangay health center — which all have to be able to respond and assess for tracing of cases of the virus," said Mr. Duque.
He added the DoH has mobilized quick reaction teams. "There are 5,000 nurses on board and we will get 5,000 more. They will be trained on what to do about A(H1N1)."
The current number of positive cases in the Philippines stands at 861, with only one related death.
Data from the World Health Organization show 70, 893 confirmed cases, including 311 deaths, in 102 reporting countries.
The virus was first detected in the country on May 21. — E. N. J. David
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