NAIA puts up alcohol dispensers to curb spread of A(H1N1) virus

MANILA, Philippines - Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Alfonso Cusi placed alcohol dispensers at every immigration counter and in every restroom for the use of passengers arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from all over the world.

“The first step to that is maintaining a clean airport environment at all times and keeping our people aptly protected from possible carriers by adopting proper hygiene as a lifestyle,” Cusi said.

Unilever Philippines’ donation of the alcohol dispensers was very timely because airport authorities worldwide are stepping up measures to combat the A(H1N1) virus, Cusi added.

“Cleanliness starts from the restrooms. As I always say, if we cannot manage our restrooms in the airport, we cannot manage anything,” Cusi said.

Cusi said he remembered Domex brand manager Apaz Reyes Gonzales saying “the first defense against any kind of sickness is prevention. And this can be achieved by keeping our surroundings clean and free of germs, especially common areas that are shared by many.”

Two weeks ago, immigration officers and employees at the NAIA received anti-flu shots. Members of the Airline Operators Council (AOC) received shots the other day. Other NAIA employees are scheduled to be vaccinated soon.

Las Piñas, Caloocan hold information drives

As the number of A(H1N1) flu cases increased to 147, two city governments launched information campaigns to help increase awareness of how the virus spreads.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri said city health officials met with barangay and school executives to brief them on the information campaign and monitoring of possible A(H1N1) flu cases.

He said while there have been no reported cases in the city, they need to be prepared should the virus affect the city’s poor residents, which compose majority of the city’s population.

City health officer Dr. Raquel So-Sayo said they will distribute protective masks, medicines, anti-bacterial soaps in health centers, barangays and schools in addition to the leaflets, surveillance reports and information materials about the virus, how it is transmitted and how to prevent infection.

In Las Piñas, the city government has procured 1,000 N95 respirators and 5,000 pairs of surgical gloves to equip frontline health workers in the city’s 29 health centers against the A(H1N1) infection.

Mayor Vergel Aguilar said the city’s health workers were given anti-flu shots to protect them from common flu strains and render them less vulnerable to the A(H1N1) virus.

He said the city health office also conducted an A(H1N1) awareness campaign at the Southville International School and Colleges, whose student population is mainly composed of foreign nationals. – Rudy Santos, Jerry Botial, Pete Laude, Rhodina Villanueva