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Saturday, November 27, 2004
Diarrhea kills 2, hospitalizes 42 in Cebu towns
By Jeanette P. Malinao
CEBU CITY -- Two men from Moalboal, southern Cebu died in a diarrhea outbreak that forced the packed Badian District Hospital to send away patients to the Barili District Hospital and a private clinic in Alegria.
Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Chief Dr. Cristina Giango disclosed that as of Friday, 42 patients were admitted to the 25-bed Badian District Hospital, while 66 were treated as outpatients at the Moalboal Rural Health Unit.
The outbreak of acute gastroenteritis was traced to a leaking pipe of the Moalboal Water System, which is under the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
The pipe, which is under repair and in Barangay Poblacion East, tested positive for contamination but Giango said they still have to conduct confirmatory tests.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia ordered the emergency purchase of dextrose and other medical supplies for the Badian District Hospital.
"It is an outbreak, but it is already under control because the source was already identified," said Giango.
Giango added that they already ordered the LWUA management to use double-strength doses of chlorine in the water being distributed.
Residents are also being told to boil their drinking water.
The first case was reported last Tuesday. The fatalities were identified as Benny Gabutero, 40, and Juan Tabanao, 80. Both were from Barangay Balabagon in Moalboal.
Garcia said LWUA should review its measures in repairing leaking pipes. "We should look five steps ahead because this is a vital commodity and it could mean life or death."
The IPHO is also looking into the 30 reported cases of diarrhea in Pinamungajan town since Nov. 1.
Giango, however, said the cases were sporadic or were "not in clusters."
There was also a report of two deaths in Pinamungajan, but the patients were referred to hospitals in Cebu City where they died.
Although the two were suffering from diarrhea, Giango said it has not yet been ascertained if diarrhea caused their deaths, because they had also suffered seizures.
As of Friday afternoon, the IPHO has yet to get the names of the fatalities from Pinamungajan.
But Giango said she already asked the Pinamungajan municipal health officer, who will be back from Manila on Monday yet, and the local health inspectors to conduct an epidemiological investigation on the cases.
Giango will be in Moalboal today to check on the outbreak.
(November 27, 2004 issue)
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