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Saturday, November 08, 2003
Diarrhea outbreak in Tondo under control
By Miko Santos
THE diarrhea outbreak in Manila's Tondo district is under control and is expected to be contained fully in two to three weeks, Health Sec. Manuel Dayrit said Friday.
Dayrit said the Department of Health (DOH) has monitored a total of 23 new diarrhea cases as of Thursday, bringing the total number of people downed by the contaminated water to over 500.
But Dayrit said the figure could increase slightly in the coming days as more residents who drank the contaminated water are expected to get sick in the next three days.
Dayrit said water in the affected areas is now safe for drinking since the water supply had been "hyper-chlorinated."
"If the water smells like chlorine, it's safe to drink, if not, let it boil for three minutes," Dayrit said.
Dayrit advised people in affected areas to boil or drop chlorine in water if they doubt its safety.
The DOH distributed among the residents 2,000 puri-tabs, which will be mixed in their drinking water. The Manila City Government is putting up three purifying stations in Foreshore area that will provide residents with free potable water.
He also called on the Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) to keep water pressure in their pipes high and repair busted pipes to avoid seepage of contaminants into the water supply.
Dayrit said e-coli bacteria from human waste was discovered in the contaminated water.
He said many of the residents suffered gastroenteritis or contracted cholera after being infected with cholera bacteria, salmonella and Ecoli bacteria. The National Epidemiology Center is conducting an inquiry, Dayrit said.
If left untreated, gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, can kill.
Dayrit, along with MWSI president Rafael Alunan III and Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, toured Foreshore area Thursday to check the chlorination procedure and repair works being done there.
Alunan noted that the company is giving amnesty to Foreshore residents as part of their efforts to stop illegal connections.
"We are giving them 24 hours to legalize, otherwise we'll disconnect them. Every citizen must take responsibility for their actions and must also help promote the common good," he added.
Alunan warned that MWSI would press criminal charges against those involved in illegal water connections. "It's a criminal offense under the Water Crisis Act," he said.
The Manila City Government will put up assistance centers at the Foreshore area to assist those who want to avail of MWSI's program.
Under the scheme, MWSI will allow owners of households where an illegal connection is found to apply for connection within 24 hours. If they fail to do so, the company will disconnect the illegal lines and they face appropriate charges in court.
(November 8, 2003 issue)
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