Palace: DOH working to prevent diphtheria outbreak

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is confident that there will be no outbreak of diphtheria in the Philippines because of the interventions of the Department of Health (DOH). 

Concerns about the communicable bacterial infection mounted after an elementary student from Manila who displayed symptoms of the disease died last week. The 10-year-old girl, a student of Jacinto Zamora Elementary School, reportedly had fever and had mouth sores and rashes. 

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the health department is stepping up measures to prevent the spread of diphtheria and other contagious diseases. 

“I talked to (Health) Secretary (Francisco) Duque (III) the other day. He said the situation is under control. We have vaccination programs all over. Even in villages, we have that,” Panelo said in a press briefing yesterday. 

“I believe he (Duque) is doing everything to take care of the health of the Filipino nation,” he added. 

Asked if he was confident that there would be no diphtheria outbreak in the Philippines, Panelo replied: “Oo naman (Yes, of course).” 

Aside from the diphtheria scare, the DOH is also grappling with the outbreak of dengue fever and measles and the reemergence of polio.