Dengue Alert

THERE was nothing fast nor accessible about the “dengue fastlane” at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) despite the P5 million allocated by the city government for its operation, Cebu City officials said.

In yesterday's City Council session, CCMC chief Dr. Myrna Go admitted that dengue patients can only be admitted based on the evaluation of CCMC doctors at the outpatient department (OPD).

Once their condition is confirmed, they will be referred to the Emergency Room (ER) who will then recommend them for admission.

Only then will they be able to avail of free Complete Blood Count (CBC) exams, Dr. Go said.

The council asked where the dengue fastlane office was located. Go replied that it was placed at the pediatrics ward and internal medicine room.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier ordered that the dengue fastlane be placed at the OPD or ER.

The mayor said a P5-million budget was allocated to CCMC to provide free tests and laboratory exams to patients diagnosed with dengue.

The amount even covers free hospitalization for the patients.

During the session, Vice Mayor Michael Rama told a staffer to head to the CCMC and check where the dengue fastlane room was.

The staffer returned a half-hour later and said a cardboard signage was attached above the room where the dengue fastlane is housed.

“The budget is P5 million and they placed a cardboard signage?” Cebu Councilor Gerardo Carillo asked.

He recalled that one patient who asked for assistance was told by a CCMC doctor to be tested in a private laboratory instead.

Carillo said the patient paid P110 for the CBC and urinalysis exam and received the results in an hour.

In contrast, he said the CCMC laboratory would take five hours to release the results.

Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa told Go to re-define the rules and guidelines for the “dengue fastlane” to expedite operations.

City Health Department Chief Fe Cabugao said the first dengue death, a 12-year-old girl from barangay Mambaling, came about after a CCMC doctor diagnosed her as having acute tonsilitis. Nine days after the diagnosis, the kid died.

But Go said the parents were advised to return to have the kid undergo a CBC exam the next day.

Instead the parents went to a private physician who gave the girl medication for abdominal pain.

As a result, her condition worsened and the child died.

Dr. Go said that had the parents returned, the child would have been given a blood test to verify her condition.

Go said the dengue fast lane would be transferred to the OPD effective today.

But she reiterated that dengue patients were given priority pink slips so they could be attended to immediately.

Still, Carillo called on Go to give the council an itemized accounting on how the P5 million budget was spent before they decide whether to issue an additional P5 million the hospital requested for the dengue fastlane.