BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Department of Health in Western Visayas (DOH-6) underscored the importance of safe drinking water amid increasing amoebiasis and acute gastroenteritis cases in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
The San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office recorded 469 cases of amoebiasis and acute gastroenteritis as of March 1.
DOH-Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) personnel already met with officials of the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office and San Carlos City Health Office (CHO).
DOH-EOH handed over 100 collapsible drinking water containers, 3,000 water purification tablets, 50 enzyme chromogenic substrates for water testing, 200 oral rehydration salts, two units of total dissolved solid meter, incubator for water testing and portable UV light.
Amoebiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Entamoeba histolytica, which is spread through human feces.
Acute gastroenteritis is also a digestive disease contracted from consuming food or water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms (such as Escherichia coli, among others) or their toxins.
Among the similar symptoms of both illnesses are nausea, diarrhea, and fever.
At present, fatalities due to suspected amoebiasis remain at two, the latest being a three-year-old child from Barangay Bulwangan.
Personnel from the DOH-6 and DOH central office conducted water analysis on samples taken from various water sources in the city, especially those from areas with clustering cases.
Water refilling stations are also being checked.
The local government unit continues to undertake measures including heightened inspection of water refilling stations, massive information dissemination, and mobilization of health personnel to conduct health education sessions on proper hand washing and waste disposal.
Earlier, San Carlos City mayor Renato Gustilo said there were lapses in the CHO’s reporting of cases, pointing out that, had he received a proper report, he could have declared a health emergency much earlier.
Gustilo declared a state of health emergency last week, on Feb. 23.
The city’s mainline water system was subjected to laboratory tests; amoeba bacteria were detected.
The samples were sent to an accredited laboratory in Bacolod City for further verification. The results are expected today, March 3.
In the meantime, Gustilo advised residents to use bottled water or boil the water first before drinking./PN
