With the increasing number of Influenza A(H1N1) cases in the country, the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has instructed all military personnel to adopt measures to prevent further spread of the disease, even as it declared readiness to assist the national police in maintaining peace and order in case chaos erupts with the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

At a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesman, Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr. said AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Victor Ibrado has given instruction to all military personnel to undertake preventive measures such as good hygiene, frequent washing of hands, and as advised by the Department of Health (DoH), to avoid close contacts like shaking of hands and social gestures such as hugs and “beso-beso” (cheek-to-cheek kisses).

Brawner said AFP hospitals were also told to prepare in case there is a widespread pandemic of the A(H1N1) virus in the country. “This means stocking up on medicine and preparing our hospitals, which includes cleanliness of surroundings of hospitals inside and out,” he said.

All AFP medical personnel were also told to be ready and that as part of the preparations, military hospitals would be stocking up medicines and special supplies like surgical masks.

The AFP spokesman said so far, there has been no reported cases of A(H1N1) infection among military personnel, adding, “We are hoping that no one among the members of the AFP will be affected by this.” However, he said the armed forces is also encouraging its personnel to go on self quarantine if they feel any of the symptoms of the Influenza A(H1N1) and to immediately go the nearest AFP hospital. “From there it will be determined if they are infected with the virus and then they will be given advise,” he said.

He further said that while the AFP has instructed its personnel to adopt preventive measures, it does not see the need yet to require soldiers to wear (surgical) masks.

As for the 3rd preparedness measure, Brawner said “in case this pandemic would evolve into a widespread chaos, out troops are ready to assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in maintaining peace and order in the country.”

“Anything can happen when you declare widespread pandemic. So one possibility would be there will be chaos and this has been the experience of some countries. Fortunately we have not experienced that in our country. But there is a big possibility,” Brawner explained.

Wash your hands, priests told

Priests including lay ministers in the Archdiocese of Manila are advised to wash their hands before and after distributing communion to the faithful to prevent the spread of influenza A (H1N1) in the country.

“We recommend strongly that priests and lay ministers distributing Communion during the Mass wash their hands thoroughly before and after the Mass,” Fr. Genaro Diwa of the archdiocese’s Ministry of Liturgical Affairs said in a circular dated June 9, 2009.

It can be recalled that the archdiocese led by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales also instructed priests to give Holy Communion only in the hand and that no holding of hands during the praying of the Lord’s Prayer be done.

Diwa said Rosales issued the following instructions as a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease.

“As pastors let us carefully explain these instructions to the faithful and enjoin them to follow the advice of health experts on how we can prevent contracting and spreading the disease,” he said.

Meanwhile, a reported new case of H1N1 scared Monday Marikina residents specially some patients of Amang Rodriguez Hospital where the alleged victim reportedly went for treatment.

In a phone interview, Dr. Ricardo Lustre, director of the Amang Rodriguez Hospital, confirmed a patient with symptoms of H1 N1 went to the hospital last Friday but it was not yet confirmed whether the woman is positive of the flu.

As this developed, senators sought Monday the immediate strengthening of the country’s public health care system as its defense against diseases.