Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/BW061909/content.php?id=071
Friday, June 19, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Nation
State mulling tapping private institutions for A(H1N1) tests
Relaxed leave rules for infected workers sought
THE GOVERNMENT is mulling tapping private institutions in testing suspected influenza A(H1N1) cases due to the fast rise in the number of suspected infections that has slowed down operations in state-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
In an interview yesterday, Health Undersecretary Mario C. Villaverde said the Department of Health (DoH) is looking into deputizing other laboratories to test for the virus and alleviate a potential strain on the RITM in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
"We are going to establish new labs to test for cases. These are Vicente Sotto [Memorial Medial Center in Cebu], private hospitals like The Medical City [in Pasig City] and Makati Medical Center, and maybe [the laboratories] of [United Laboratories, Inc.], said Mr. Villaverde.
The identified private institutions were unavailable for comment.
Tapping the services of private institutions is one of the requirements in the third of a four-step response level adopted by the DoH on A(H1N1).
Level 1 is containment. The government has since shifted to Level 2 ? mitigation, and Level 3 is tapping nongovernmental facilities to mitigate the virus?s impact.
But before the third level is adopted, the following measures should be in place, according to an earlier directive from the department: for the RITM to provide capacities for other laboratories to perform tests; monitoring cases at home; assessing manpower to determine of contact tracing should be dropped; and random sampling.
The highest response at Level 4 means widespread community outbreak and random sampling and tracing of cases, which would qualify for the declaration of a national public health emergency.
The tapping of private institutions was raised after 33 new positive cases were announced yesterday, with over 200 patients having been discharged.
The new infections raised to 344 all confirmed cases since May 21.
"Of the new confirmed cases, 24 are male and nine are female with the age range of the cases from a one-year-old to 52 years old," Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a statement yesterday.
The additional cases involve 31 Filipinos and two foreigners, and Mr. Duque said all cases are mild in nature.
The DoH is expecting additional confirmed cases due to aggressive reporting and contact tracing. The Philippines has the highest number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in Southeast Asia.
According to data from the World Health Organization, there are 35, 928 confirmed cases of the virus, including 163 deaths, in 76 countries.
Relaxed sick leave rules
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) yesterday asked private employers and government agencies to relax sick leave rules to encourage staff to stay home if they develop flu-like symptoms.
"Employers should discourage staff who manifest flu-like symptoms from reporting for work, even if this means temporarily raising their sick leave allowances," TUCP secretary-general and former Senator Ernesto F. Herrera said in a statement.
"This way, firms and offices are not only kept free from influenza A(H1N1), but also avoid or minimize potential productivity losses that may arise once large segments of their personnel get infected," said Mr. Herrera, a former chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development.
He also asked employers to adopt aggressive strategies to prevent, monitor and control the virus?s spread by:
* ensuring adequate ventilation in their facilities, and access to hand washing and other sanitation provisions;
* cancelling nonessential large gatherings, including flag-raising ceremonies and similar assemblies;
* lessening human traffic in crowded areas such as office cafeterias;
* encouraging workers to bring their own food and to eat in their workstations;
* requiring workers who exhibit flu-like symptoms to report to the office clinic;
* specifying a holding area for staff with flu-like symptoms;
* urging workers to carry hand sanitizers and face masks;
* designating infection prevention, monitoring and control teams at the factory or corporate levels; and
* providing personnel ample information on preventive measures at home and at work, and constant updates on advisories from health authorities.
Mr. Herrera also said employees who came into contact with a suspected or confirmed case should be asked to stay home for 10 days and observe for symptoms.
He said the policy of self-quarantine for 10 days should also be observed on employees who have traveled abroad. ? E. N. J. David
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Friday, June 19, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Nation
State mulling tapping private institutions for A(H1N1) tests
Relaxed leave rules for infected workers sought
THE GOVERNMENT is mulling tapping private institutions in testing suspected influenza A(H1N1) cases due to the fast rise in the number of suspected infections that has slowed down operations in state-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
In an interview yesterday, Health Undersecretary Mario C. Villaverde said the Department of Health (DoH) is looking into deputizing other laboratories to test for the virus and alleviate a potential strain on the RITM in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
"We are going to establish new labs to test for cases. These are Vicente Sotto [Memorial Medial Center in Cebu], private hospitals like The Medical City [in Pasig City] and Makati Medical Center, and maybe [the laboratories] of [United Laboratories, Inc.], said Mr. Villaverde.
The identified private institutions were unavailable for comment.
Tapping the services of private institutions is one of the requirements in the third of a four-step response level adopted by the DoH on A(H1N1).
Level 1 is containment. The government has since shifted to Level 2 ? mitigation, and Level 3 is tapping nongovernmental facilities to mitigate the virus?s impact.
But before the third level is adopted, the following measures should be in place, according to an earlier directive from the department: for the RITM to provide capacities for other laboratories to perform tests; monitoring cases at home; assessing manpower to determine of contact tracing should be dropped; and random sampling.
The highest response at Level 4 means widespread community outbreak and random sampling and tracing of cases, which would qualify for the declaration of a national public health emergency.
The tapping of private institutions was raised after 33 new positive cases were announced yesterday, with over 200 patients having been discharged.
The new infections raised to 344 all confirmed cases since May 21.
"Of the new confirmed cases, 24 are male and nine are female with the age range of the cases from a one-year-old to 52 years old," Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a statement yesterday.
The additional cases involve 31 Filipinos and two foreigners, and Mr. Duque said all cases are mild in nature.
The DoH is expecting additional confirmed cases due to aggressive reporting and contact tracing. The Philippines has the highest number of confirmed A(H1N1) cases in Southeast Asia.
According to data from the World Health Organization, there are 35, 928 confirmed cases of the virus, including 163 deaths, in 76 countries.
Relaxed sick leave rules
Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) yesterday asked private employers and government agencies to relax sick leave rules to encourage staff to stay home if they develop flu-like symptoms.
"Employers should discourage staff who manifest flu-like symptoms from reporting for work, even if this means temporarily raising their sick leave allowances," TUCP secretary-general and former Senator Ernesto F. Herrera said in a statement.
"This way, firms and offices are not only kept free from influenza A(H1N1), but also avoid or minimize potential productivity losses that may arise once large segments of their personnel get infected," said Mr. Herrera, a former chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development.
He also asked employers to adopt aggressive strategies to prevent, monitor and control the virus?s spread by:
* ensuring adequate ventilation in their facilities, and access to hand washing and other sanitation provisions;
* cancelling nonessential large gatherings, including flag-raising ceremonies and similar assemblies;
* lessening human traffic in crowded areas such as office cafeterias;
* encouraging workers to bring their own food and to eat in their workstations;
* requiring workers who exhibit flu-like symptoms to report to the office clinic;
* specifying a holding area for staff with flu-like symptoms;
* urging workers to carry hand sanitizers and face masks;
* designating infection prevention, monitoring and control teams at the factory or corporate levels; and
* providing personnel ample information on preventive measures at home and at work, and constant updates on advisories from health authorities.
Mr. Herrera also said employees who came into contact with a suspected or confirmed case should be asked to stay home for 10 days and observe for symptoms.
He said the policy of self-quarantine for 10 days should also be observed on employees who have traveled abroad. ? E. N. J. David
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