Heat stroke downs 9 PNP trainees in NegOr

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – At least nine police officers undergoing a 45-day Special Counter-Insurgency Operations Unit Training (SCOUT) in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental were rushed to the hospital for treatment over the weekend after complaining of what appeared to be heat stroke and dehydration symptoms.

The police officers, however, have recovered from the temporary sickness and are set to resume training on Monday, said Sr. Insp. Dexter Calacar, training manager of the Regional Special Training Unit 7 of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Region 7.

According to Sr. Insp. Calacar, the PNP SCOUT Class 30-12, comprising 151 trainees all holding the rank of Police Officer 1, were on their regular daily jogging routine from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and had already returned to base at Camp Herman Carballo in Nagbagang, Sta. Catalina town, when the nine exhibited signs of medical emergency.

The police officers, whose names are withheld to avoid compromising their training status, showed various symptoms like headache, restlessness, dizziness, and even strange behavior, such as screaming, said Sr. Insp. Calacar.

They were immediately brought to the Bayawan District Hospital in the adjacent City of Bayawan. One of them was transferred to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City, though, after he came down with diarrhea and demonstrated “aggressive” actions, Calacar added.

All nine PNP SCOUT trainees have been discharged from the hospital and were recuperating during the weekend, Calacar said. They are still on the official roster of trainees, he added.

The PNP SCOUT training manager disclosed that apart from the scorching heat and most likely high temperatures on that day, other factors had contributed to the disruption of the counter-insurgency training.

Calacar disclosed that a private supplier in Sta. Catalina had failed to deliver enough water supply that day, such that only five gallons of drinking water were on hand for the trainees.

Further, the trainees were earlier that day exposed to strenuous activity under the searing heat during a land navigation exercise.

While it is not unusual for PNP trainees to develop heat stroke symptoms, Calacar said exposure to strenuous activities and vigorous physical exertion under the sun are part of the training program.

Still, the twice daily jogging for the trainees will now be reduced to once a day, during mornings when temperatures are still tolerable, Calacar said.

The PNP SCOUT Class 30-12 members are scheduled to graduate by the last week of May, he added. /JMO (FREEMAN)