MANILA, Philippines – The Navotas City health department has treated a total of 210 evacuees mostly children who were suffering from various illnesses at the make-shift evacuation centers in various parts of the city.
Dr. Liberty Domingo, Navotas City health officer, in her report to Mayor John Rey Tiangco said 89 of the patients were children aged below five while the rest are five years old and above.
Of the total number, 94 were suffering from sore throat and acute respiratory ailment, 27 from fever while the rest were treated for skin rashes, sore eyes and asthma.
The city health department has deployed medical workers at the Navotas sports complex, and other evacuation centers where some 7,157 fire victims were housed to contain the outbreak of illness, among the displaced residents.
Tiangco said the city government is now looking for the relocation of affected residents mostly fishermen living along the coastal areas of Barangay Navotas West and Sipac Almacen.
Tiangco and the Navotas City Council has declared a state of calamity in Barangay Navotas West and Sipac Almacen to speed up relief and relocations of the fire victims.
The city government has also activated its Operation Damayan to solicit donations for the fire victims.
The four-hour fire which broke out Thursday night is the worst fire incident that Navotas City has experienced in past years.
The fire killed two children and destroyed at least 800 houses and displaced some 1,491 families, or a total of 7,157 individuals including, children.