MANILA, Philippines - The number of dengue cases in several provinces in Central Luzon and Ilocos Region continue to rise as respective governments run out of resources to attend to affected residents.
In Central Luzon, Bulacan posted the highest number of cases at 2,259, while Nueva Ecija was second with 1,666 cases.
In Pampanga, Governor Lilia Pineda and Vice Governor Joseller “Yeng” Guiao are preparing to place the province under state of calamity if dengue cases continue to rise.
Pampanga holds the third highest number of cases in the region at 1,390.
All the three provinces reported 5 deaths each.
Twelve-year-old Merlyn Talao from Candaba town died last August 7 from the disease. Her death prompted the local government to launch Task Force Tepok to impede the rise of dengue cases in the area.
In La Union, meanwhile, dengue patients were cramming inside the pediatric ward of La Union Medical Center.
According to Dr. Fernando Astom, La Union Medical Center chief executive officer, the beds in the hospital were not enough to accommodate the growing number of patients in the province. Some of the patients have already occupied the hospital's corridors.
One of the patients, Myka, needed 6 bags of blood after she was diagnosed with Stage 2 dengue.
However, because of the hospital’s malfunctioning refrigerated centrifuge, doctors were only able to give Myka 2 bags.
There have been 7 recorded deaths in La Union due to dengue.
La Union has the highest number of dengue cases in the Ilocos Region, with 2,000 affected.
La Union Sanitation Chairman Pepe Ortega has already asked the local government to place the province under a state of calamity.
In Pangasinan, health officials were also scrambling to provide patients with blood as supply in the province dropped to 50%. – Reports from Maira Wallis, Valerie Lopez, Gracie Rutao and Chris Zuniga ABS-CBN News Pampanga and Northern Luzon