11 dengue cases monitored in Kidapawan City

KIDAPAWAN CITY - At least 11 dengue cases were monitored in a village in Kidapawan City during the onset of heavy rains last week, Mayor Joseph Evangelista said.

Evangelista said that while the city government is waging its fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), another health issue had surfaced, which is also as lethal as the new virus.

Dengue cases were monitored in Barangay Ginatilan.

The problem, however, is that the City Blood Bank is not capable of providing blood platelets to those who need transfusion, the mayor said.

Evangelista said the refrigerated centrifuge at the Blood Bank was no longer functional since May 5.

If a dengue patient needs platelet transfusion, he/she would have to be brought to bigger hospitals in Davao City or Cotabato City.

Evangelista explained that his office has since requested the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the approval of a supplemental budget worth P13 million, half of which was supposed to be allotted for the purchase of a brand new refrigerated centrifuge.

A centrifuge is a laboratory device used for the separation of fluids, gas or liquid, based on density.

It also used to separate the components of blood, including red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.

Also, part of the supplemental budget was allotted for food and drinks to thousands of frontliners, purchase of personal protective equipment, disinfectant, and other medical supplies to fight COVID-19.

The Sanggunian, however, failed to approve the release of such supplemental budget, according to Evangelista.

On Monday, a special session was held to discuss the approval of such budget.

Reports said the session started at 9:08 a.m., but at around 12 noon, when the council was supposed to deliberate the issue, the presiding officer asked for a recess.

The session was supposed to resume at around 5 p.m. but still, the council failed to give the proposal a “go” signal.

“We just hope and pray that we won’t have many severe dengue cases that need platelet transfusion, or else, we will transfer them to bigger hospitals with refrigerated centrifuge,” the mayor said.

In 2019, the city was declared under a state of calamity because of the increasing number of dengue cases. —KG, GMA News