Talisay health officer refutes mayoralty bet

CEBU, Philippines - City health officer Lino Alanzado, in reaction to Talisay City mayoral aspirant Johnny delos Reyes criticisms, has said the city has no trained personnel to treat residents who have been bitten by dogs or other animals.

Reyes has criticized the city for allocating budgets to projects that do not seem to benefit people while neglecting to set aside money for anti-rabies vaccines.

Alanzado said animal bite victims are referred to the Animal Bite Center in Minglanilla town because it is the town in the first district that has an animal bite treatment center.

The city government picks up the tab for the first two of five anti-rabies shots.

One shot costs around P1, 000.

Delos Reyes, in an interview, said the current administration reportedly forces dog bite victims to avail of services in Minglanilla town rather than purchase anti-rabies vaccines for the Talisay City District Hospital.

Talisay City councilor Richard Francis Aznar, chairman of the committee on health, said that while the city doesn’t have its own animal bite treatment center, it has appropriated funds in rabies prevention such as conducting free vaccinations for rabid dogs in the city. (FREEMAN)