ONE of the nine family members brought to a hospital in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, after reportedly eating puffer fish, locally known as “buriring,” on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2022 has died.
Dr. Joel Semblante, chief of Sta. Rosa Community Hospital, told SunStar Cebu, that Rosana Evardo, 57, was declared dead on arrival when she was rushed to the hospital around 12:55 p.m. on the same day.
Evardo was a resident of Sitio Sidlakan in neighboring Caubian Island, Lapu-Lapu City.
Attending physician Eris Augusto said the eight other family members, including Evardo’s husband, their four sons, and three grandchildren also arrived at the hospital around 4:45 p.m.
Augusto said all of them were in stable condition but they were still being closely monitored at the hospital. He said hydration was done and medications were given to the family members for their fast recovery.
Augusto said it was not the Evardos’ first time to eat puffer fish, according to the family’s father.
“Sayop lang daw pagkaluto sa iyaha anak. And ang mama ang nakakaon sa bihod so mao na grabehan (He said one of his sons just happened to cook it wrong and the mother also ate the fish eggs, that’s why it was worse on her),” Augusto said.
The Evardo family cooked the puffer fish while fishing in the waters of Caubian Island.
Samblante noted that another family from Panganan Island was admitted to the hospital years ago after eating the poisonous fish.
With this, the two doctors advised the public to refrain from eating puffer fish to avoid poisoning.
“If ever you had eaten puffer fish and feel sick, do not delay going to a doctor for treatment,” Augusto said in Cebuano.
Reports claimed the Evardos tried to manage their illness at home, seeking the help instead of local healers also known as “mananambal.”