BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO – A total of 37 students and three teachers of Pili National High School in Ajuy town were taken to hospitals due to food poisoning, apart from one grade 11 female student who died on Sunday morning, Nov. 6.
Dr. Sarrie Masongsong, Ajuy Rural Health Unit (RHU) head, said 21 are admitted at the Sara District Hospital in Sara town, nine at the Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. District Hospital in Barotac Viejo and 10 at the RHU.
Mayor Jet Roxas also said those hospitalized were gradually recovering, with some of them just waiting for their swab test results to be discharged.
Rojas also mentioned that the results of the Sara District Hospital’s fecalysis test to two individuals showed they had amoeba and the suspected cause was the buko pandan juice or the ice added to the said juice.
“As of the findings sang Sara District Hospital sang pag-examine nila sang higko, duha diri ang may amoeba. Mostly ang ila ginasuspetsahan gid amo ang buko pandan juice kag pwede nga sa ice man nga ginbutang didto sa juice,” he said.
The students held an acquaintance party and United Nations celebration in school on Friday, Nov. 4, and they had a boodle fight.
Some of them, including the two teachers, were rushed to the Sara District Hospital on Saturday, Nov. 5, after they felt dizzy and experienced diarrhea.
One of the students, Ricky Ann Angel Bacacao of the town’s Malayu-an village, died of severe dehydration.
Meanwhile, the local government unit of Ajuy will provide financial assistance to Bacacao’s family.
Ajuy RHU has already coordinated with the Iloilo Provincial Health Office (PHO).
“Sara District Hospital admitted the patients. They received the cases, treated them and monitored, gave treatment and laboratory tests available and coordinated with the Ajuy RHU for the initial investigation. They also informed our provincial epidemiology and surveillance unit,” said provincial health officer, Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon.
A team from the provincial epidemiology and surveillance unit has been deployed to the Sara District Hospital and in Ajuy for a thorough investigation.
“Indi pa kita sure kon buko juice gid man kay nag-boodle fight so amo na nga ma-conduct kita investigation para ma-determine. Kag makuha kita sang remnants of food nga puede pa mapa-check,” Quiñon said in a media interview.
She added that the PHO has provided medicines and will be sending more oral rehydration solutions as augmentation. (With a report from PNA)/PN
