CEBU CITY – Nine athletes and a coach are confined at the Cebu City Medical Center after they were diagnosed with dengue shortly after they arrived here for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
VICE President and outgoing Education Secretary Sara Duterte visits athletes confined at the Cebu City Medical Center due to dengue. (Inday Sara Duterte FB page)
Dr. Peter Mancao, chief of CCMC, said at least 50 athletes and coaches were brought to CCMC not just because of dengue but also for other minor medical issues.
Mancao said that those who have been confirmed to have dengue are from various regions whose infections only manifested when they arrived in Cebu.
Because of the dengue cases, the City Health Department has been conducting misting and fogging in some billeting quarters.
Mancao said the CCMC has created a fastlane for Palarong Pambansa delegates needing medical attention.
Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte visited those confined at CCMC on Tuesday, July 9.
Duterte visited them while the opening ceremony of the Palaro was ongoing at the Cebu City Sports Center where President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was the guest speaker.
In a Facebook post, Duterte said that prior to the start of the Palaro, the Department of Education (DepEd) ensured that medical teams are readily available when the need arises.
Duterte thanked the local government of Cebu for its continued support for DepEd especially in the giving of special awards to the delegates.