ILOILO City – Samples taken from four sources of ice water mixed with buko pandan juice by students of Pili National High School in Ajuy, Iloilo tested positive for E. coli and coliform bacteria, according to Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) head, Dr. Maria Socorro Colmenares-Quiñon.
Of the four samples tested at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), two were positive for E. coli while the other two were positive for coliform, said Quiñon.
A 17-year-old Grade 11 female student of the school died while 44 others including teachers and staff were hospitalized due to loose bowel movement and vomiting after their classroom acquaintance party last week where buko pandan was served.
Meanwhile, according to provincial health officer, Dr. Rodney Labis, head of the Health Service Delivery Division of PHO, as of Friday, Nov. 11, of the 45 individuals who were victims of food poisoning, three students remained confined in the hospital; the 41 others were already discharged.
At the Sara District Hospital, of the 21 cases admitted, 18 were discharged while three were still admitted.
At the Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. District Hospital in Barotac Viejo, all of the nine admitted were already discharged, the same with 14 cases managed by the Ajuy Rural Health Unit.
Quiñon said it is now up to the Ajuy Municipal Health Office to take the necessary action.
“We leave it to the municipal health office to do the right decision, ila na decision nga paga-obrahon,” she said.
On the other hand, Department of Education (DepEd) 6 regional director Ramir Uytico said the incident should not be taken for granted especially that there was a casualty.
“Hindi ‘yan pwede na kalimutan lang natin, kasi may namatay. Dapat i-address natin and we should be careful in dealing with situation kasi may na-i-involve na mga bata, teacher, mga magulang. So I want to treat these fairly and properly para maiayos natin ito,” said Uytico.
The regional office tasked the legal unit of the Schools Division of Iloilo through Superintendent Ma. Luz Delos Reyes to conduct an investigation.
Initially, Uytico said the acquaintance party held by the students was not officially a part of the calendar of activities of the school and they were not required to conduct it.
Meanwhile, the DepEd-6 regional director wants water systems in schools checked especially that there were also cases of gastroenteritis and cholera in other local government units in Western Visayas.
He said he will require their medical officers to always coordinate with all the 21 schools divisions in the region.
“We will always engage our medical officers and nurses to go around the schools and check the water sources,” said Uytico.
He said that the DepEd does not advise students and teachers to utilize or drink water from unsure sources of water in or surrounding the school, adding that it is important that the students should bring their own drinking water to make sure it is safe.
“This is a whole-of-the-region approach para hindi tayo mabiktima ng acute gastroenteritis (AGE)… that would somehow cautioned us na gagawa tayo ng mga paraan in partnership with our local government units and local health units para maiwasan natin itong tintawag nating AGE,” the DepEd-6 director added./PN
