“Meningococcemia” claims girl in Cebu City barangay

CEBU, Philippines - A one-year-old girl from Barangay Pulangbato allegedly died of Meningococcemia last Saturday evening in one of the private hospitals in Cebu City.

Pulangbato barangay captain Maria Velasquez confirmed the Meningococcemia case in her barangay after she got hold of a copy of the child's death certificate.

Velasquez said that based on the death certificate the child was diagnosed to have suffered from Meningococcemia. The patient came from Sitio Manguyas and was brought to a private hospital after exhibiting symptoms of the disease. She was declared dead at 11 p.m. last Saturday.

Velasquez said she arranged for the funeral of the victim after the mother called her and asked for assistance. The body of the child was wrapped several times and the casket was also sealed properly before it was buried in Guba Cemetery.

Velasquez said the victim was immediately buried first thing in the morning of Sunday.

The child's immediate family was also asked to take the medicine prescribed by the hospital. Velasquez said she feared that some of the victim's neighbors might have been infected with the virus because some of them have fever already.

The barangay captain said she already reported the incident to the Office of City Councilor Leah Japson and to the Office of the Mayor. She said that an appropriate action is needed because only doctors know what to do in this case.

"Kinahanglan og appropriate action, nanagang lang ko," she said. (FREEMAN)