MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) and local health officials began working together to identify communities that often flood and distribute doxycycline, a medicine for leptospirosis, to people who must wade through floodwaters for their daily activities.
Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said in an interview that he told DOH staff to work with barangay health workers to find people who have walked through floods and give them doxycycline.
Mercado admitted that going to barangay health centers or getting a doctor’s prescription for doxycycline can be difficult and time-consuming.
“Ang ginagawa po natin pro-actively ay tayo na po ang pumupunta sa bawat barangay at inaalam natin sino po ba ang hindi maiiwasang lumusong sa baha, tulad ng mga riders at trabahador. Ang mga health workers ay ating binibigyan ng payo na hanapin sila sa mga barangay para makapabigay tayo ng doxycycline, para hindi na sila pupunta sa mga barangay health stations,” Mercado said.
Mercado said that tracking people exposed to floods is currently slow and difficult, so they are looking into using technology to get real-time data, like mapping flooded communities for faster health response.
“Kailangan mayroon tayong sistema (for forecasting) na computerized para real time ang ating data. Iyon po ay ginagawaan ng paraan. Pati na rin po ang supply chain, stock level, pati na rin ang ordering cycle (ng doxycycline),” Mercado said.
In a separate interview, Dr. Grace Padilla, the officer in charge and Manila City Health Officer, said that barangay health workers in Manila are actively going house to house as part of the city’s efforts to control the spread of leptospirosis.
Nearly 200,000 doses of doxycycline have already been given to residents, as the City Health Office expects more leptospirosis cases because of the constant rain and flooding in some parts of the city.
Padilla said Manila hospitals and health facilities are on alert because leptospirosis cases could rise as the rains continue.
Padilla said that six Manila hospitals set up to care for leptospirosis patients are now operating beyond their usual bed capacity.
Under standard procedures, hospitals are expected to increase capacity by adding 10 percent more beds for severe leptospirosis cases.
Manila has started using its infectious disease facilities and wards, including areas that were once used for COVID-19 patients, to handle the growing number of leptospirosis patients at Sta. Ana Hospital.
The Manila City Health Department is also monitoring other water- and weather-related diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever, and flu-like illnesses, as the rains and flooding continue. RNT
