Respiratory consultations rise in Cebu amid haze

CEBU CITY — Respiratory consultations in some local hospitals increased by 26 percent in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year.

This situation prompted the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) to call for closer monitoring of respiratory illnesses, amid concerns over poor air quality in Metro Cebu.

On Friday, DOH-7 released data from four hospitals showing that respiratory consultations rose from 2,778 in July to September 2025 to 3,524 during the same period in 2026.

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Dr. Van Philip Baton, officer in charge and chief of the DOH-7 Local Health Support Division, said the findings warrant investigating poor air quality as a potential contributing factor.

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But he also noted that a direct link between air pollution and the increase in respiratory cases has yet to be established.

“The evidence justifies treating poor air quality as a potential contributing factor, and investigating it as a public health concern,” Baton remarked.

He added that the findings provide a basis for shifting classes to modular learning when the air quality index (AQI) reaches unhealthy levels.

The condition comes amid reports of poor air quality in Metro Cebu in September.

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These factors raised concerns about the possible health effects of haze on residents, particularly children, older adults, and people with existing respiratory ailments.

DOH-7 said hospital records showed varying trends in respiratory illnesses across facilities.

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Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay City recorded 1,407 outpatient respiratory cases in the third quarter of 2026, up from 847 in the same period in 2025, representing a 66.1-percent increase.

Its records showed increases in several conditions, including community-acquired pneumonia, which rose from 304 to 427 cases; respiratory tract infections, from 104 to 223; and asthma, from 108 to 140.

Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) also recorded an increase, with respiratory cases rising from 996 in the third quarter of 2025 to 1,217 in the same period in 2026.

However, not all facilities reported an increase.

St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital recorded 547 outpatient respiratory cases in the third quarter of 2026, down from 742 a year earlier.

The DOH said that exposure to polluted air can irritate the respiratory system and aggravate conditions such as asthma.

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It reiterated its advice for residents to limit outdoor exposure, amid haze linked to forest fires in Indonesia. /apl