The Department of Health (DOH) should preposition doxycycline, an anti-leptospirosis drug, in barangays and in evacuation centers, Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin said.

She highlighted the need for such a drug in the aftermath of the country’s episode with severe tropical storm (STS) "Paeng". Leptospirosis cases have been observed to increase after major flooding as people are exposed to contaminated water.

"Leptospirosis is a preventable disease, pero ang nangyayari sa atin huli na yung prophylaxis na para sana sa prevention (But what happened was that the prophylaxis for prevention use got held up). Doxycycline should be initiated as soon as possible for it to be effective," Garin, a medical doctor and former DOH secretary, said on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Garin, in her statement, said that P31 million in medicine, supplies, and commodities were prepositioned for Paeng but due to the infrastructural damage, access to the supplies was hindered.

She also said that it took six days before her legislative district could procure doxycycline for leptospirosis cases.

"Yung oras ay mahalaga, makainom agad lalo na yung mga high risk individuals pero ang naging problema ay naputol na ang communicaton lines, nasira ang tulay, may ginagawang clearing operations kaya paano mapick up ang gamot, matatagalan talaga. So nawala na yung importansya nito na para sana sa prevention (Time is important. High risk individuals should take the medicine right away but the problem was communication lines were cut, bridges were ruined, clearing operations were conducted, so how can we get the medicine? The importance of this for prevention was lost),” Garin explained.

"We are proposing a more practical and responsive solution to prevention of leptospirosis. We should target zero leptospirosis post-flooding. Hinahabol natin ang (We are going after) protection because leptospirosis easily reaches irreversible stage. Prevention is still the best," she concluded.