DOH sets up treatment camps in diarrhea-hit Palawan area

Following the deaths of several residents there, health authorities have set up a treatment camp in a remote area in Bataraza town in Palawan province. National Epidemiology Center head Dr. Eric Tayag said Wednesday health workers in the area are also encouraging residents to boil their drinking water. "Meron nang treatment camp na inilagay doon para malapit sa katutubong Palawan at para magamot sila kung may nagtatae pa. Nagpapakulo na sila ng tubig kasi ang pinagkukunan ay mababaw na balon at tuloy-tuloy na pag-ulan maaring nakontamina ang pinanggagalingan nila ng pag-inom," Tayag told dwIZ radio. (Our teams already set up a treatment camp in the area, to treat those who are still suffering from diarrhea. Residents are being asked to boil their drinking water because they get their water from a shallow well that may have been contaminated by recent rains.) While the Department of Health initially confirmed 15 deaths from the diarrhea outbreak in Culandanum village, radio reports indicated as many as 49 may have died.

The DOH has sent a medical team to the site to get and analyze water samples and to treat affected residents there. Tayag said the medical team in the area includes members of the DOH Region 4-A (Southern Luzon) and the provincial local government unit. On the other hand, Tayag said they are having problems communicating with the team as cell phone signals there are weak. "Walang signal kaya hinihintay natin ang bagong report (There are no signals there so we will have to wait for the next update)," he said. — RSJ, GMA News