Iloilo province is now under a state of calamity due to the killer disease dengue, even as overcrowded hospitals there advised patients to "bring your own beds."
Radio dzBB's Iloilo affiliate reported Wednesday that the provincial board approved the declaration of a state of calamity, after being briefed of its impact.
At its regular session Tuesday afternoon, the provincial board was briefed on the dengue outbreak and mitigating measures taken so far.
At least 12 dengue deaths and 1,670 cases have already been recorded in Iloilo as of Aug. 10. The 1,670 cases were 114 percent higher than the number of cases in the same period in 2009.
With the declaration of a state of calamity, the province can now use is 5-percent calamity fund to combat dengue.
On the other hand, the report said some hospitals in the province advised patients to "bring your own bed" as they were already overcrowded with dengue patients.
More than 40,000 cases of dengue have been recorded by the Department of Health in the first seven months of the year alone. This number is much higher than the 27,000 cases recorded in the same period last year. Around 328 people have already died this year because of dengue. — RSJ, GMANews.TV
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