The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) assured Sunday that members and their legal dependents who would be confined due to dengue will receive hospitalization benefits, covering room and board and other medications.
''We are alarmed by the continuing rise in dengue cases from different parts of the country. We have to ensure that members and their legal dependents confined due to the said disease will be able to avail themselves of hospitalization benefits,'' Dr. Rey B. Aquino, PhilHealth President and CEO said.
As such, patients diagnosed with stage 1 dengue fever and are confined in a tertiary or Level 3 hospital can avail themselves of up to P500 per day for hospital room and board fees and P4,200 for drugs and medicines that are included in the Philippine National Drug Formulary.
Aquino said a total of P3,200 will also be shouldered by PhilHealth for X-ray and other laboratory exams done during the period of confinement; while a maximum of P1,200 is available for the professional fee of the attending physician.
''These benefits may be availed of in any of the over 1,300 PhilHealth-accredited hospitals nationwide,'' he said. ''Members only need to ascertain that their member data records are updated, especially if the patient is their dependent; and that they have made sufficient premium contributions.''
In a statement, PhilHealth detailed their payments for dengue cases from January to June.
The national health insurance agency reported a total of P191 million for confinements due to dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.
The agency said the amount represents payments for 24,583 claims received nationwide.
Aquino asked government hospitals to waive any amount in excess of what PhilHealth covers for members and their dependents admitted to ward-type accommodation.
''Let us exercise social responsibility, especially now that the dengue menace has reached alarming proportions, and hospitals are teeming with dengue patients,'' he said.
Last week, the Department of Health (DoH) reported that dengue cases in the country have reached 54,659 cases from January 1 to August 14 which is 75 percent higher than the same period last year.
The National Epidemiology Center (NEC) reports that dengue cases are high in National Capital Region, Western Visayas, SOCCSKARGEN, CALABARZON, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.
SOUTHWESTERN MINDANAO REGISTERS 34 DEATHS
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The regional office of the DoH has monitored at least 6,500 cases of dengue, of which 34 patients, mostly children, died from January to August this year.
Dr. Abdullah Dumama, DoH regional chief for Southwestern Mindanao reported that North Cotabato province posted the highest incidence of dengue with 3,301 cases and 14 deaths; South Cotabato with 1,583 cases and four deaths; General Santos City with 676 cases and five deaths; Sarangani with 345 cases and 7 deaths, and Sultan Kudarat province with 305 cases and three deaths. He said there was an increase of 169 percent of dengue cases compared to cases monitored in the same period last year.
''The youngest among the dengue fatalities was a 10-month old infant from North Cotabato,'' Dumama said.
The ratio had been placed at 0.53 percent case fatality or one death per 200 dengue-afflicted patients, Dumama said. ''If the case reaches the ratio of one fatality every 100 patients that will be considered a very alarming level,'' the regional health director said.
HEALTH BRIGADES
In Quezon City, the local government will launch a project dubbed ''Health Brigades,'' with the aim of raising public awareness on the cause, prevention and effect of dengue through the city's 142 public elementary and high schools.
Mayor Herbert Bautista said children as young as seven will be trained as ''dengue busters'' for a city-wide drive against the dreaded mosquito-killer disease as he will personally witness the ceremony for the students' oath of commitment set on September 2.
He said that the project is vital as there are already 950 dengue cases with eight deaths reported in the city 69 of which reportedly inflicted children from the public schools.
Under the system, Division of City Schools officer-in-charge (OIC) Dr. Corazon Rubio said that health brigades in the city's public schools will be composed of five pupils or student leaders for each school.
As dengue busters, the pupils will assist their teachers and medical officers in the search-and-destroy activities to pinpoint the breeding areas of mosquitos, which are mostly in damp areas of their respective schools.
The students will also be asked to participate in the advocacy of Tutok Linis Program of the City's Health Department headed by Dr. Antonietta Inumerable where the value of proper sanitation of school premises will be emphasized.
''It is our belief that young children have open minds and a natural curiosity, as well as tendency to share school projects and information with adult members of their families,'' Rubio added.
Bautista also directed the City Health Department and other agencies concerned to closely coordinate with Department of Science and Technology (DoST) on the possibility of using new inventions available like new vaccines or medicines to combat dengue.
Inumerable said dengue cases in QC had tremendously declined by 14 percent this year compared to 2009, where 61 deaths had been reported adding that in 2010 only 0.85 percent is the fatality rate of dengue cases in the city.
DENGUE CLAIMS 3 MORE IN ABRA
BANGUED, Abra - At least three more dengue patients died at the Abra Provincial Hospital in the past weeks, Provincial Health Officer Godofredo Gasa said Sunday.
The recent deaths have prompted local health officials here to urge people to observe cleanliness in all places especially in houses, schools as well as offices and all other establishments to insure that breeding places for dengue biting mosquitoes are eliminated.
Catherine Cabunoc, head nurse at the Abra Provincial Hospital, said that the most effective way to controll the spread of dengue virus is the religious implementation of the 4S approach which means search and destroy; seek early consultation, self- protective measure and ''say no'' to indiscriminate fogging.
She advised the Abra residents that if they have fever, it is better for them to seek immediate consultation to a physician to further monitor their health status.
Meanwhile, the all-out campaign on dengue prevention is already on-going in the province with barangay folk highly involved in the massive cleaning of the environment.
Health personnel are also advocating for the 4 o'clock habit, that is the replacement of water in flower vases and emptying all water containers that are potential habitat of dengue mosquitoes.
They also advised the people to cover containers of clean water to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding there since dengue mosquitoes thrive in clean water. (With reports from Chito A. Chavez, Dexter A. See and Freddie G. Lazaro)
