DOH: 73,909 dengue cases reported, up 96% year-on-year

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said that it has recorded 73,909 dengue cases this year so far, 96 percent higher than the reported cases in the same period last year.

“Our dengue cases as of July 9, 2022, we already have 73,909 dengue cases reported. This is cumulatively 96 percent higher compared to the reported cases during the same period last year, which is around 37,000 cases,” DOH alternate spokesperson Undersecretary Beverly Ho said in a press briefing.

Ho said the regions with the most cases were Regions 3, 7, and the National Capital Region. “So in the recent period from June 12 to July 9, doon po 'yung pinakamarami so around 18,000 of these cases were recorded,” she said.

The DOH official said at least 11 out of 17 regions have already exceeded the epidemic threshold for dengue the past four weeks.

She said around 299 deaths due to dengue were also reported nationwide as of July.

The DOH, along with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), earlier reminded the public that only scientific solutions can solve the country’s health problems like dengue.

They said that vector control, and not placing frogs and fishes in swamps and stagnant water, could help curb the increasing dengue cases in the Philippines.

DOH officer-in-charge Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said the increase in dengue cases is "alarming," with some now being treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, Ho said at least 72 percent of hospital beds are being utilized for non-COVID cases.

"At the national level 72 percent of hospital beds are actually being utilized for non-COVID cases. So our non-COVID healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) [is] high risk or marami, puno siya while for some regions, fewer regions it is at moderate risk,” she said.

Ho said the Health department is exerting efforts to open up more healthcare facilities across the country.

“The department is exhausting efforts to open up more healthcare facilities across the country so that Filipinos outside of NCR will no longer see the need to travel as their needed expertise would be available to where they are residing,” she said.

“This indication of increased HCUR for non-COVID-19 cases is a signal for our units to intensify patient navigation, appropriate admission through the National Patient Referral and Navigation Center (NPRNC) and to further strengthen primary care services and quality in a given locality,” she added. — BM, GMA News