JUNE 18, 2012 DATE

NR # 2774
REF. NO.

Solon urges the govt to sell dengue rapid test kits at reasonable price
A lawmaker has urged the government to sell dengue rapid test kits at reasonable price for poor Filipino families. In House Resolution 2417, Rep. Ma. Theresa B. Bonoan-David (4th District, Manila) also urged Congress to conduct a probe into the availability of reasonably-priced dengue rapid test kits to reduce the number of dengue cases in the country. Bonoan-David said there are several dengue detection kits available in the market which are said to cost P1,000 or P2,000 in some hospitals and the result can be made available in 15 minutes. Considering the importance of the dengue rapid test kits in protecting the lives of the Filipinos, a study should be made to make these kits readily available to meet the demand of the hospitals and patients alike as a more reasonable price, Bonoan-David said. The lady solon said early detection of dengue is crucial to the early recovery of person with dengue as doctors are informed much earlier and enable them to provide the best medical care possible. If one is found to be positive for dengue, the fever could be treated by antipyretics like paracetamol, while pain in the bone may be treated with analgesics or pain-killing tablets, Bonoan-David said. Patients with dengue are aptly monitored for dehydration as patients are usually advised to drink plenty of fluids, Bonoan-David added. Bonoan-David said there is need for hospitalization if the dengue fever develops into its more serious forms of dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. More supportive treatment like intravenous fluid replacement is required to prevent shock, a state in which not enough blood and oxygen reach important organs like the brain and kidneys, Bonoan-David said. Bonoan-David disclosed that the current testing methods to detect dengue of hospitals may not be helpful if early diagnosis of dengue is desired. She said that the cheaper dengue tests done by most hospitals are based on the detection of specific dengue virus antibodies. But this kind of tests rely on antibiotics that are only produced by the patient several days after the first clinical signs appearfour to six days for a primary infectionwhich may not be acceptable for early screening, Bonoan-David said. (30) mvip