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Saturday, March 12, 2005
After Bohol deaths, teachers to learn first aid
CEBU CITY -- Public school teachers will be taught to administer first aid or give antidotes for poisons, under a proposal that Education Secretary Florencio Abad raised, after the deaths of at least 27 children in Bohol.
Many of the 102 others who fell ill are improving, while some were already discharged.
But one more pupil of the San Jose Elementary School in Mabini died late Friday afternoon.
Jennelyn Valiente, 15, was transferred when her condition worsened from a provincial hospital in Talibon to Tagbilaran City, more than 100 kilometers away.
She died minutes after getting there.
The vendor blamed for the food poisoning cases suffered a heart attack Friday morning and was transferred to the intensive care unit of Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran. Anna Luyong has been confined there with 17 others since Wednesday.
Bohol Provincial Police Chief Sancho Bernales placed Luyong and another vendor, Victoria Hibaya, under protective custody starting Friday.
This was meant to prevent the immediate families of the victims from harming them, as the town continued to wallow in grief and anger after the children's deaths.
Supplies low
If indeed there were lapses on the part of Hibaya and Luyong, police said the two could be charged with reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide.
Experts are still trying to find out whether it was organo-phosphate, a chemical component from pesticide, or the natural cyanide content of the cassava that poisoned the children.
Dr. Vincent Entero, the private doctor hired to attend to children brought to Cotamora Clinic in Ubay, Bohol, said the patients' symptoms, such as vomiting and loose bowel movement, indicated organo-phosphate poisoning.
Despite the clinic's efforts, 14 of their patients died.
Samples taken from the patients were flown to Manila Friday morning to be examined at the National Poison Control Center of the UP-Philippine General Hospital.
Its resources stretched by the outbreak, the Talibon provincial hospital requested for help from the provincial health office, because they are running out of atropine sulfate, an antidote for organo-phosphate poisoning.
What to do
Pharmacist Cherva Arciaga said because they have the highest number of patients, their supply of atropine will only be good until Sunday.
Still, there was some positive news.
Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay discharged 28 of its 30 patients. Cotamora clinic is now left with only two patients, after allowing six others to go home. Talibon provincial hospital discharged two of its 45 patients.
To prevent another tragedy, Department of Education (DepEd) officials have recommended that pupils refrain from buying food sold near schools and for parents to instead prepare their children's school meals.
DepEd 7 Director Carolino Mordeno said Secretary Abad has also proposed, with the help of the Department of Health (DOH), some training for public school teachers so they will learn how to take vital signs and administer first aid in emergencies.
"They will be taught how to take immediate action to prevent deaths and to learn antidotes for food poisoning," Mordeno said.
Abad and Mordeno flew to Bohol to attend the burial of the children last Wednesday. Mordeno said the sight was very heart-wrenching that he could not look at the mourning families.
"As a parent, I feel so much for them for what had happened," Mordeno said.
Calamity
As for ambulant vendors selling food outside the school gates, Mordeno admitted that education officials do not have the power to regulate them.
However, they could work with local government units and the DOH in this initiative.
While health authorities are still trying to verify what killed the 27 children, some of the other victims are getting better.
Dr. Troy Gepte, the DOH's official spokesperson, said Friday that all the other children are responding to treatment and their conditions have stabilized.
"Although there are preliminary findings, we want to be very accurate. (But) we are strongly considering cyanide," Gepte, a medical specialist of the National Epidemiology Center, told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview Friday.
Health officials also suspect that organo-phosphate, another deadly chemical that might have contaminated the oil used to fry the cassava, may have caused the deaths.
The pesticide was found in the stomach of one of the fatalities.
President Arroyo declared Mabini under a state of calamity last Thursday to speed up the release of relief funds. (CYR/AIV/With GC)
| Post your experiences to the Sun.Star Graduation section. Click here. | 2005-02-24 04:52:02
mcalvo - My graduation was unforgettable to me and to my classmates. I was so drunk the night before graduation. During the ceremony i dozed to the point of snooring even when i was already standing i was half sleeping. Our dean has to call my name twice and the person behind me has to push me just to wake me up... graduations are memorable...enjoy and congratulations to all graduates!
Read more experiences |
(March 12, 2005 issue)
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