By Rodrigo S. Victoria
PIA Biliran
NAVAL, Biliran – The Department of Health (DOH) in Biliran province reported on Friday a total of 109 cases of diarrhea, four days after it affected five barangays in Cabucgayan town.
Vanessa Veloso Ramirez, health education promotions officer of the Biliran provincial health office earlier reported that more or less 30 cases of diarrhea were reported on August 29, 2016 in barangays Libertad, Magbangon, Bunga, Esperanza and Casiawan.
In a follow-up report on September 2, Eduard A. Estroso, DOH surveillance nurse assigned at the Biliran provincial health office, revealed that there were already 109 reported cases of diarrhea as of 5pm of September 1 not only in the five barangays earlier mentioned but also in some barangays of Cabucgayan.
“There were already 72 diarrhea cases reported as of 5pm in Cabucgayan from August 29 to August 31, 2016”, Estroso said. He added, 37 of the reported 109 diarrhea cases came from Barangay Bunga.
The DOH surveillance nurse said that 44 persons affected with diarrhea from Cabucgayan were admitted at the Biliran provincial hospital (BPH) while the remaining 65 persons affected with diarrhea stayed in Cabucgayan town for further medical observations and treatment as of September 2.
He informed that the DOH regional office already provided the necessary manpower and logistical support to Cabucgayan like dispatch of three nurses to augment the health manpower of the town and sending of an initial 100 bottles of intravenous (IV) fluids, medicines, colilert machine used for water analysis and chlorine.
The provincial government of Biliran also made an emergency purchase of IV fluids to augment its IV fluids initially dispatched to Cabucgayan, Estroso reported.
Intensive advocacy campaign on how to prevent diarrhea were conducted in barangay assemblies held in the affected barangays including those not affected with diarrhea, he said.
A meeting with Cabucgayan Mayor Edwin Masbang was already held with health officials to address the occurrence of diarrhea in some barangays of his town.
An observation area was established by DOH in town to serve as an immediate an initial action to address people infected with diarrhea, Estroso further said.
He also confided that rectal swabbing was already conducted and the specimen taken was already sent to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila to determine whether the cause of diarrhea is bacterial or viral and stool specimen collected will be sent on Monday, September 5 to RITM.
Water analysis was already conducted in the water source of Cabucgayan including the water samples from water refilling stations in town, he said.
Estroso hopes the occurrence of diarrhea cases in Cabucgayan town will be contained with the intervention of DOH regional and provincial office in Biliran and with the coordination of LGU-Cabucgayan. # (FJ/rvictoria/PIA Biliran)
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