Iloilo city: The Department of Health (DOH) Western Visayas Center for Health Development has promptly dispatched 50,000 capsules of doxycycline to Iloilo City. The swift action comes in response to an urgent request from the city's mayor following severe flooding that has raised health concerns among residents.
According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Raisa Tre±as expressed gratitude to the DOH for their timely response to her appeal for additional doxycycline supplies. The medication is crucial for preventing leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can spread in floodwaters. Mayor Tre±as highlighted the urgent health situation, noting that the demand for doxycycline has significantly increased due to the widespread flooding affecting the city.
In just one week, from July 18 to 24, approximately 40,000 individuals in Iloilo City were administered at least two capsules of doxycycline. The Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center reported 93 barangays experiencing flooding as of Thursday afternoon, with 30 still submerged, while water levels have receded in 63 others.
In addition to the assistance provided to Iloilo City, the DOH also supplied 30,000 capsules of doxycycline to the Negros Island Region and 20,000 capsules to Negros Occidental. The DOH assured that other provincial health offices currently maintain sufficient inventories of the medication.
