Dengue and poverty

The recent outbreak of dengue cases has reached alarming numbers (nearly 70,000 cases, with more than 500 deaths), but still the government, particularly the Department of Health, seems to be handling the “situation” as if it were a normal thing. Whether or not this situation has become a nationwide problem, it should already be a source of grave concern simply because the number of cases is much higher than last year’s.

Dengue, being a viral infection, may have no cure, but there are measures we can adopt to reduce and prevent it. Dengue, like any infectious, preventable diseases, is an indication of extreme poverty in our country. Most vulnerable to and most affected by this illness are poorly nourished children. Aggravating this is the lack of basic health services in our government hospitals and communities.

In dengue, early detection is crucial; so is supportive care, like (and especially) increasing the patient’s body resistance through adequate nutrition and rest.

The DOH can do more than just announce the number of cases and issue warnings (sounding as if we are totally helpless in the face of a public health problem like this). This problem is not a natural or normal thing we just have to live by year-in and year-out. It is not something we just have to wait for and watch happen the next day.

And let’s hope we don’t end up blaming people for failing to keep their surroundings clean. While cleanliness can be of help, there are many other things we need to do to fight dengue. For example, we have to extend help to most patients because emergency care and diagnostics cost a lot even in public hospitals. Just recently, there was an announcement that a “rapid dengue test” can now be done in a government hospital, for free, on the condition that the patient proves he/she has no capacity to pay. This gives public hospitals a very good reason to provide free essential medicines and basic health services, such as laboratory examinations.

The people need a more concrete, more responsive, more effective health care delivery system. This we can have only if government includes health among its immediate priorities and provides adequate funds for health supplies, manpower and other needs.

—JOCELYN  S. ANDAMO, RN,

national treasurer,

for NARS ng Bayan

(An Association of Community Health Nurses and People’s

Health Advocates),

nars.philippines@yahoo.com