Swine flu forum set next week - Palace

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang announced the holding of a comprehensive forum on the H1N1 flu next week in order to map out the strategy of the government against the virus.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the forum would be a venue to “share information and best practices from the experts and map out appropriate defensive strategies for public health.”

He emphasized that the outbreak of the flu in several countries as well as the strong possibility of it becoming a pandemic makes it necessary for the government to be fully prepared to address any situation in the country.

“Our people continue to look to our government for information as well as protection and this forum will serve as a launching point for both of these major policy directions, as well as a focal point for marshaling all available resources, similar to our successful response to the SARS scare several years ago,” Remonde said.

During the outbreak of SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, the Philippine government took pride in being able to prevent the spread of the virus, which resulted in the deaths of a significant number of people in the Asian region, particularly Hong Kong and China.

Less than 20 probable cases were reported in the country with only two deaths recorded.

In order to prevent the spread of misinformation about the H1N1 flu virus which could lead to unnecessary concern or even panic, Remonde said that the government, led by the Department of Health, would carry out a comprehensive information campaign, adding that call centers will also be tapped to disseminate information, something which was not done during the SARS outbreak.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the government has stepped up surveillance and screening of inbound passengers in the six international airports by putting more people and additional thermal scanners to help detect people who might be carrying the virus.

Actions vs H1N1 flu

Senators, for their part, want to find out whether the government and its agencies are ready and fully-equipped to combat the flu as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a possible pandemic.

They also suggested ways to ensure that the country would be able to protect its citizens all over the world from the disease.

Senators Manuel Lito Lapid Jr., Loren Legarda and Manuel Roxas II filed separate resolutions to conduct an inquiry into the actions of various government agencies to prevent the H1N1 flu from spreading in the country.

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. established a hotline for overseas Filipino workers as he asked the Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly Philippine embassies and consulates in affected countries, to proactively lead in the strengthening of precautionary measures against the H1N1 flu.

Sen. Francis Escudero said Malacañang should use its P9.8-billion pork barrel or the Priority Development Assistance Fund to beef up the country’s health infrastructure to strengthen the country’s defense against diseases like the H1N1 flu.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said the Department of Health must consider going on its highest alert level in the face of the WHO warning.

“Government’s allotment of P10 million to purchase more anti-viral drugs is a pittance considering that in worst-case scenarios, the country must already have everything needed to react properly and swiftly,” Legarda said.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee, said the government could use the cheaper medicine law to purchase new stock of anti-influenza drugs to be distributed to all government-run hospitals in the country.

He cited reports that most of the anti-flu drugs in stock at the DOH were nearing expiration or had already expired.

Quarantine for lawmakers OK, but...

The quarantine policy for congressmen is fine, but this should be applied to all US-inbound passengers.

This was the answer of Speaker Prospero Nograles to proposals that he and his colleagues undergo quarantine upon their arrival from the US – which is under threat of the dreaded H1N1 flu virus – after attending today’s Pacquiao-Hatton bout.

“No problem as long as rule applies to all public and private persons who come from America, and not selective only whether high or low position in government,” the House leader, who never missed a fight of the Filipino boxing champion, stressed.

Nograles cautioned Health Secretary Francisco Duque III against imposing a selective policy, especially since there are other passengers, aside from lawmakers, from Las Vegas, California or Mexico.

“To target and single out only the congressmen would be grossly discriminatory and malicious. Careful, careful,” he said.

Duque, nonetheless, clarified that all passengers, not only congressmen, arriving from Mexico and the US will be screened and quarantined for possible infection with the H1N1 virus.

Next excuse?

After Charter change, will the H1N1 flu scare be used by Malacañang to a declare state of emergency and cancel the 2010 general elections?

In a statement, Legarda said the talks swirling that the global concern on H1N1 flu would be an excuse by officials to perpetuate themselves in power might be ridiculous to some but she stressed that all actions of the Palace must be carefully watched.

“If true, that would be the height of insensitivity as it would exploit a very real problem for the purpose of staying in power,” Legarda said.

“Personally, I do not intend to give credence to such forecasts because it will not happen – the people will not let it happen,” she added.

Health ministers’ meeting

The Philippines will also chair a meeting of health ministers from the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday to discuss the region’s collective response to the H1N1 influenza virus, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The DFA said the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting will be held in Bangkok as ASEAN member states raised their alert levels and put in place precautionary measures to address the outbreak.

The Philippines, led by Health Secretary Duque, will preside over the meeting as the current chair of the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting framework. – With Aurea Calica, Delon Porcalla, Pia Lee-Brago, Charlie Lagasca