The Department of Health (DOH)-Negros Oriental gave tips to avoid diseases that usually occur during the summer season.
The DOH provincial office intensified its information campaign to prevent common illnesses that arise during the dry season in view of the negative impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
DOH Provincial Officer Dr. Socrates Villamor reminded the public to practice proper food handling to avoid contamination which could lead to diarrhea, a common disease during the dry season.
Villamor explained that food preparation can be affected by the minimal water supply due to extreme hot weather conditions.
“With the extreme heat, our food gets spoiled easily. We should practice proper food handling and preparation. Refrigerate leftover food immediately and reheat it before eating it again,” Villamor said.
Another cause of diarrhea is drinking water from contaminated source or containers that are not cleaned properly.
Aside from this, Villamor also advised the public to avoid getting exposed under the heat of the sun for more than three hours and always keep hydrated to avoid the health risks associated with extremely hot weather like heat stroke.
Other common diseases during hot weather conditions are mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, skin diseases among children, and respiratory diseases manifested through coughs and colds.
The DOH official disclosed that the department is monitoring the manifestation of these conditions from the municipal up to the regional level.
“We have the epidemiologic surveillance unit in place from the municipal level up to the regional level. The surveillance officer of the certain municipality will report to the provincial level. The provincial level surveillance team will assist the Local Government Unit in mitigating the increase in the certain disease condition. If they still need the help of the regional office, that’s the time we come in. More or less that is the scenario of what the department is doing to mitigate the expected rise of diseases,” said Villamor.
In a Kapihan sa PIA forum held recently, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) – Negros Oriental Chief Meteorologist Neptune Catarata announced that the province is experiencing below normal rainfall condition from March to May this year due to El Niño phenomenon.
Catarata said the weather condition is expected to last until August this year. (ral/PIA7-Negros Oriental)
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