Diarrhea claims boy in Danao

CEBU, Philippines – The one-year-old child who suffered from diarrhea in Danao City passed away at the hospital yesterday morning.

Reynaldo Laurente, barangay captain of Taytay, Danao, said the child, Neil Pantoja, was one of the 14 residents in the barangay suffering from the symptom. The child was rushed to the Danao General Hospital, but was declared dead on arrival.

Dr. Pobleo Piedad, assistant chief of the Danao City Health Department, confirmed the death. The child's parents reportedly did not want their child to be embalmed.

"Dili man sila gusto nga mapa embalsamar ang bata mao nga gitambagan nalang sila nga ipalubong nalang ang bata," Piedad told The Freeman.

The child who died yesterday is said to be the third child that succumbed to diarrhea, the first being another one-year-old who passed away last Friday evening while on board a ship bound for Siquijor.

A report of GMA7 said a seven-month-old child baby girl also died the other day, but health authorities said they are yet to confirm the information.

At least 100 residents of Danao City are still confined at the Danao General Hospital, majority of which are children.

Piedad said they are closely coordinating with the Provincial Health Office and the Department of Health regional office in providing for the needs of the patients.

Dr. Cristina Giango, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office, admitted that the 25-bed Danao General Hospital does not have sufficient medicines.

She said this is the reason why they have advised families to transfer their patients to hospitals in Cebu City, but the families have reportedly refused because of financial reasons.

"Daghan kanila ang miingon nga wala gayud sila magasto kon dadan sa dakbayan sa Sugbo ang ilang mga pasyente," Giango said.

So far, three patients have been referred to the Eversly Child Sanitarium Hospital in Mandaue City. Severely dehydrated patients have been transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City.

The Department of Health has already declared a diarrhea outbreak in Barangays Tabok-Camaligbato, Taytay and Suba. The Danao City Health Department has recorded a total of 230 cases from the three barangays since October 26, 2010. Of the number, only 101 have been successfully treated.

Still, health officials remain optimistic that the outbreak can be contained in succeeding days. Yesterday, residents in the affected barangays were taught how to chlorinate water properly. Packs of chlorine were distributed so that residents of the three barangays can practice chlorination at the household level.

Giango said they continuously urge residents to boil their water first before drinking.

Giango said they are yet to confirm whether or not the water from a tank with a broken chlorinator has caused the outbreak. Contamination of the water source is believed to be the main cause. 

Authorities are not discounting the possibility that the water source may have been contaminated by residue of tools used in immunizing chicken that were burned at a farm in Barangay Tabok. The farm is located just a few meters away from the main water source.

Forty-four of those suffering from diarrhea are residents of Barangay Tabok.

The Regional Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (RESU) of DOH has already gathered water samples from the affected areas.

Yesterday, the provincial government sent boxes of medicines to the Danao General Hospital. The city government also purchased more medicines and other hospital needs for the patients.

No less than Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano Jr. and Councilors Jojo Roble, Cynthia Duterte and Ivy Durano turned over the supplies to the hospital. The city government also provided financial assistance to families of the victims. - Jose P. Sollano and Gregg M. Rubio/JMO (FREEMAN)