LEGAZPI CITY, April 30 (PNA) --- The provincial government of Albay will declare a state of imminent danger following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration placing the swine flu virus epidemic under Alert Level 5, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said today.
Salceda said he has urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to convene for the immediate passing of a resolution on the declaration.
The resolution will enable the province to use five percent of its development funds for the purchase of much needed supplies and other expenses in the implementation of the province's swine flu response strategy.
Salceda said the passage of the resolution is similar to a declaration of state of emergency in times of typhoons and volcanic eruptions.
He said that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a meeting on Wednesday, has adopted Albay's Swine Flu response strategy, making it a nationwide action plan to prevent and control the incidence of Swine flu in the country.
Salceda said the response strategy was based on a Disaster Emergency Response (DER) framework, not the health emergency structure which is usually pursued in a health related situation.
The Swine Flu Response strategy includes: a) the activation of the departments of civil defense, health, the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital Albay Provincial Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO); b) Activation of the provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU); c) Swine Flu Units established at the BRTTH; Ziga Memorial District Hospital in Tabaco City and Josefina Belmonte Duran Hospital in Ligao City with dedicated isolation rooms;
c) DOH to prescribe Quarantine Procedures for suspected cases; d) Pre-positioning of Tamiflu/Relenza vaccines, N95 face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE); e) Private hospitals are put on alert to report suspected cases of swine flu; f) the provincial health office and APSEMO to conduct information and education drive through town and villages officials and media.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) will conduct regular updates meeting with health and public safety authorities to assess the execution of the strategy and the evolving global, national and local situation.
The strategy also calls for a heightened alert in all entry points in roads, seaports and airports. (PNA)