DOH: Fewer (A) H1N1cases now in Cordillera

By Lito Dar

BAGUIO CITY – Despite reports on cluster of influenza- like illnesses cases in some areas in Mt. Province and Abra, there are now fewer confirmed or positive A H1N1 cases reported in the region.

This was announced by Cordillera Department of Health operations head Dr. Amelita Pangilinan Wednesday.

Pangilinan, however said people should always take good care of their health and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

She said regional DOH personnel are going around the region to monitor preparedness against the dreaded disease and mitigation plan of each province.

“They are conducting inspections and training for health workers, both in the public and private sectors,” she said.

DOH is also set to train hospital chiefs next week during their scheduled hospital managers meeting.

The DOH is also monitoring the preparedness of the region’s health facilities terms of logistics and drugs, especially in tertiary hospitals, on worst case scenario of (A) H1N1.

Pangilinan said to ensure preparedness of provincial hospitals in every region in the country, the DOH central office devised an inter-regional monitoring system wherein another a “third eye” or a different DOH regional team will inspect or monitor the other region’s preparedness, so as to better achieve monitoring objectives.

For Cordillera, DOH regional director Dr Myrna Cabotaje sent two teams to do the monitoring on Region I. For monitoring of Cordillera, Region 2 was tasked to handle the job.

The Health Department sponsored a media forum Wednesday to promote awareness on various DOH event and activities.

This August, the DOH is celebrating National Lung Month, National Awareness Tuberculosis Awareness month, National TB Day (Aug. 19), World Breastfeeding Week, Family Planning Month and World Breastfeeding Week.

In the forum, Edith Mesina, of Commission on Population, talked about natural family planning, Dr Eleanor Cuarte of BGHMC on advantages of breastfeeding and on mother-baby friendly hospital and Zenaida Patal-e, on the DOH breastfeeding program.

Dr. John Tinoyan talked on alternative medicine and non-scalpel vasectomy, while Dr Luisa Paran explained the DOH TB Control program.