30 November 2005
Bird flu seminar set here Dec. 5
THE Region 1 Medical Center here will hold a first ever seminar-workshop on bird flu on Dec. 5 that seeks to design a provincewide alert system against the dreaded disease that is now threatening to go pandemic. Dr. Jesus Canto, R1MC chief, said the participants are expected to draw up an action plan that will tasks responsibilities to each concerned government agencies and sectors for them to contribute their share in preventing bird flu.
Although saying that the Philippine remains among only three Asian countries that are still bird flu-free, Canto stressed it is necessary that everybody must contribute his or her share so that bird flu will have no chance to set in. The two other countries still spared from bird flu are Singapore and Brunei.
Canto has invited Dr. Luningning Bella, chief epidemiologist of the Department of Health and Dr. Ramiro Olvida, chief of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as main speaker during the day-long seminar-workshop.
He said the two officials will brief participants on the current national bird flu protection program which can be adopted locally and help ensure the continuous bird flu-free status for the Philippines.
Other speakers are from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture whose personnel are members of the bird flu protection task force now monitoring bird sanctuaries in Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte and Bani, Pangasinan.
Corollary to this, DA Regional Director Nestor Domenden said the bird flu task force had likewise installed footbaths just outside the doors and gateways of Poro Point seaport in La Union, Salomague Port in Ilocos Norte and Laoag International Airport where foreign visitors would step in when they enter the country.
Invited to the seminar-workshop are hospital and public health personnel, officials of the Department of Education and local government units, particularly members of the bird flu prevention task force in province and cities, including members of the media.
Canto said the seminar-workshop will also analyze if the province of Pangasinan is still safe from bird flu amid reports that migratory birds, such as herons and egrets, are seen more often in flocks in various shallow fishponds in the coastal areas of the province these days.
Egrets, according to the magazine “Awake”, can travel on flocks from one continent to another.
However, Canto considers as God’s blessings on why the Philippines is still bird-flu free despite the country’s proximity with China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia that have already registered several cases of bird flu. (PNA)
Although saying that the Philippine remains among only three Asian countries that are still bird flu-free, Canto stressed it is necessary that everybody must contribute his or her share so that bird flu will have no chance to set in. The two other countries still spared from bird flu are Singapore and Brunei.
Canto has invited Dr. Luningning Bella, chief epidemiologist of the Department of Health and Dr. Ramiro Olvida, chief of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as main speaker during the day-long seminar-workshop.
He said the two officials will brief participants on the current national bird flu protection program which can be adopted locally and help ensure the continuous bird flu-free status for the Philippines.
Other speakers are from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture whose personnel are members of the bird flu protection task force now monitoring bird sanctuaries in Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte and Bani, Pangasinan.
Corollary to this, DA Regional Director Nestor Domenden said the bird flu task force had likewise installed footbaths just outside the doors and gateways of Poro Point seaport in La Union, Salomague Port in Ilocos Norte and Laoag International Airport where foreign visitors would step in when they enter the country.
Invited to the seminar-workshop are hospital and public health personnel, officials of the Department of Education and local government units, particularly members of the bird flu prevention task force in province and cities, including members of the media.
Canto said the seminar-workshop will also analyze if the province of Pangasinan is still safe from bird flu amid reports that migratory birds, such as herons and egrets, are seen more often in flocks in various shallow fishponds in the coastal areas of the province these days.
Egrets, according to the magazine “Awake”, can travel on flocks from one continent to another.
However, Canto considers as God’s blessings on why the Philippines is still bird-flu free despite the country’s proximity with China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia that have already registered several cases of bird flu. (PNA)
