People are crying out for blood.
No, we’re not talking about the riots the Muslims are waging against western embassies in the Middle East. Rather, this is a cry that’s so close to home.
With every week that passes there’s always the chance that someone you know has been a victim of the dengue virus.
This is one of the baddest years for dengue in recent memory. A total of 518 cases and 2 deaths were reported in Dumaguete City, the highest in Negros Oriental this year. This figure contributes almost half of the total dengue cases in the province– 1, 283 cases from January 1 to September 1.
The increase in the number of dengue cases this year is 70 percent higher than that of the cases last year which was 384 and zero deaths.
Dengue-carrying mosquitoes live in areas that have stagnant bodies of water. It could also be said that the ideal habitat for dengue-carrying mosquitoes are areas with improper waste management.
We may have been resorting to the four-o-clock habit, we may have been removing flower vases and ponds in our own homes, but it doesn’t mean that the threat will disappear in an instant. We live in a country where mosquitoes thrive so we have to do something better to survive this plague.
The call of the times is for walking blood donors. These are persons who are willing to donate blood at a moment’s notice for a dengue patient.
If you are eligible to donate blood, please consider being a walking donor.
By doing so, you will not only be a lifesaver for dengue patients but you will also help yourself by allowing your body to produce new blood for your system.
If you wish to give blood anytime soon, the City Health Office will have its annual bloodletting activity on September 28.
Giving blood does save lives.
