CEBU CITY -- Health officials Thursday said an exclusive school in Metro Cebu failed to report to them that 42 of its students fell ill with flu-like symptoms. The school also refused to let health officials take throat swab samples from its students.

The school allegedly asked a private hospital to conduct swab testing for influenza A (H1N1) without the permission of Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas, said Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar.

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Kintanar is the spokesperson of the DOH Central Visayas Pandemic Influenza Incident Command.

DOH Central Visayas has scheduled a meeting Friday with officials of the school and the private hospital.

“We did not receive any calls from the school administrator. Instead we received a call from a concerned parent,” Kintanar said. She said the parent reported that several students at the school fell ill.

When a DOH Central Visayas team went to the school to confirm the report and take swab tests, it was asked not to take any.

“We were told that they would still have to ask the permission of the parents. We were also told that they already have tests done by a private hospital,” said Kintanar.

The report raised concerns among health officials.

“As far as I know, ours is the only accredited PCR (polymerase chain reaction) laboratory for testing of influenza A. For subtyping, it is only the RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine),” said Kintanar.

The PCR laboratory of the Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical Science (Afrims) in the compound of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) is the only satellite PCR laboratory accredited by both the RITM and World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct influenza A (H1N1) tests.

“The main issue is that the hospital where they are running tests is not yet accredited by either the RITM or the WHO,” said Kintanar.

She said they were surprised by the report because the Afrims can only conduct confirmatory tests for influenza A and subtyping for H1N1 is done in Manila.

She said that if the private hospital wanted to help in the testing, it should have coordinated with the DOH central office.

“This one needs coordination so that we get uniform results and we follow the same standards that are of the same level of the RITM and the WHO,” said Kintanar.

Kintanar said they could have demanded the taking of swabs from the private school’s students.

“Remember when we told you about emergency powers? If we feel that there is a need to do so, we can go to the school and take the swabs,” said Kintanar. “But I don’t think that this would come to force. We just all need to talk about this.”

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said he was surprised after hearing that a private school refused to have the DOH Central Visayas take throat swabs from their students.

“The well-being of the children is the responsibility of the school. The school must exercise necessary steps to safeguard the health of the students. If there are students who have symptoms, I do not see a reason why the school will not seek help from the DOH for diagnosis,” said Lapus.

He said schools should follow the guidelines issued by DOH on mitigating A (H1N1). Under the guidelines, schools are required to report to local health authorities in case students fall ill.

He said he will look into the reports and impose appropriate sanctions if necessary.

“It is a private school. If they just do that, masisira lang ang kanilang image. And you know that they depend on enrollment,” said Lapus.

Kintanar said they kept a close watch on hospitals and schools who fail to follow A (H1N1) precautionary measures. She said the incident taught them to keep an even closer eye on schools.

Aside from the exclusive school in Metro Cebu, nine other schools--three private schools and six government schools--have reported suspected A (H1N1) cases, said Kintanar. The latest schools to have reported suspected cases are from Minglanilla and Naga towns. (EPB/JKV/Sun.Star Cebu)