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Water-borne gastro downs 89 in Catigbian
CATIGBIAN.
Officials of this hinterland municipality swiftly responded
last week in a bid to contain the contamination of water-borne
diseases that inflicted some 89 residents since last month.
Mayor
Bert Salinas said in an interview last week that he called
for a special session of the Sangguniang Bayan, which promptly
obliged, to pass a measure that would utilize the calamity
fund.
The
mayor said that he needed to tap the five percent calamity
fund of their annual budget.
Vice-Mayor
Necita Digaum, who presided over the special session, together
with Councilor Aying Lungay and Councilor Doris Obena and
SB secretary Ardissa Estavilla, in separate interviews, confirmed
this.
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Digaum
said that the SB unanimously approved a Resolution granting
authority to the mayor to use the said funds for the
purchase of five units of chlorinators to be installed
in two reservoirs as recommended by Dr. Allan Evangelista,
municipal health officer (MHO). Each chlorinator costs
between P30,000 to P50,000.
Salinas
also urged the residents to do their share by boiling
water prior to consumption as recommended by MHO while
additional chlorination has yet to be put in place.
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CULPRIT
The
mayor said that maybe the culprit of the contamination was
the alleged failure of the sanitary inspector identified as
Victorino Pamugas to do the regular chlorination treatment
to the reservoirs for a month.
The
mayor said this is negligence on the part of the sanitary
inspector as he was not informed on the lack of supply.
Lungay,
for his part, said that the alleged negligence of the sanitary
inspector has put the lives of those affected in danger.
The
Chronicle tried but failed to contact Pamugas for comment.
But
Evangelista explained another angle of the contamination.
He said that when it rains it is always expected that contamination
will occur since water would seep into the water sources,
particularly the aquifers.
An
outbreak of any disease may be considered as such when it
affects the 20% of the total population, he said.
Evangelista
said that the contamination is below outbreak level but he
was alarmed when high fever and gastro intestinal symptoms
like vomiting and diarrhea were manifested by patients from
barangays Kauswagan, Alegria, Bongbong and Candumayao.
The
said barangays are serviced by two huge reservoirs that get
their water supply through deep well source.
Province-owned
and managed Catigbian District Hospital released list of patients
as of October 25, 2007 with a total of 29 admissions, eleven
of which are diagnosed with typhoid fever-related impression.
It
included Maximiliana Lancila, 42, of barangay Alegria; Angel
Hinlo, Jr., 14, Poblacion; Charles Torregosa, 4, barangay
Triple Union; Joselito Tasic, 6, Alegria; Norben Manlapas,
15, Kauswagan Norte; Marilou Lurot, 17, Bagtic; Leah Lurot,
26, Candumayao; Arlyn Panutsol, 10; Alona Panutsol, 12, both
of Alegria; and Arnel Balili, 25, also of Alegria. (RVO)
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