Sulu diarrhea outbreak leaves 5 kids dead, downs 44
HEALTH • 00:23 AM Sat Apr 7, 2018
1,357
By:
Edwin Fernandez and John Unson
Sea crafts are on standby at Pata port for quick transport of patients. (contributed photo)
COTABATO CITY – Five children have died due to diarrhea as health officials in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) declared an outbreak of water borne
disease in three villages of Pata, Sulu.
Dr. Kadil Sinolinding,
Department of Health (DOH-ARMM) regional secretary, said Pata municipal health
workers have reported that the diarrhea outbreak has downed 44 persons, mostly
children suffering from acute gastroenteritis.
Twenty-seven
of them are still confined at Parang District Hospital in Sulu. Sinolinding said more than 30 others were
treated and eventually allowed to go home.
Contaminated
source of water is the most probable cause, Sinolinding said in a statement.
He said three
of the fatalities expired during admission at a government hospital, another
child died before admission and another expired on March 27 when the first
diarrhea case was reported in the island town.
The spread of
diarrhea cases started on Monday. However, there were few cases of diarrhea reported
as early as March 27, Sinolinding said.
Sinolinding
said Dr. Jubaira Isnain, chief of the Parang District Hospital, and Dr.
Amilbahar Matingka, Pata health chief, are on top of the situation and
personally managing the patients who remained in the government health
facility.
He said the
patients come from the three adjoining villages of Pata, a 5th class
island municipality with more than 22,000 inhabitants.
Sinolinding
said a sea craft is currently on standby in Pata 24/7 courtesy of town Mayor Anton
Burahan with soldiers deployed by Task Force Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito
Sobejana. A team of Philippine Marines
also assisted in hauling the patients to mainland Sulu.
Sinolinding
said incoming AFP chief of Staff and currently Western Mindanao Command chief
Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr has sent two Huey choppers for immediate evacuation
of other patients to Sulu provincial hospital for treatment.
Isnain has
mobilized and deployed a bigger team of health front liners to affected areas.
On Thursday, Sinolinding
said, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman also sent food supplies, including water
purifying tablets and solutions, and water testing kits to arrest the outbreak.
Rest assured
that we are monitoring the situation very closely, Sinolinding said. (Edwin O.
Fernandez)