DOH Rushes to Stop Spread of Diarrhea at Siruma

LEGAZPI CITY (22 Jan 2011) - The Department of Health (DOH) regional office here mobilized its health emergency response team to prevent the further spread of the number of persons who were downed by diarrhea which already claimed one death in a remote village of Siruma town in Camarines Sur.

During a Press conference held at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional office here this morning called by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC), Dr. Rose Rempillo of the DOH regional office emergency response team disclosed that a total of 250 persons were initially diagnosed as having been afflicted by diarrhea.

The patients were diagnosed at the DOH field hospital set up in barangay Butawanan an island barangay of Siruma town last Saturday.

Rempillo said that an infant was the first casualty of the water-borne disease while some 450 families or six percent of the 4,000 residents were already affected.

She said that out of the 250 positively diagnosed, 25 were severely affected, 150 moderately affected while 75 were mildly affected.

Rempilo reported that Army soldiers with two of their M35 trucks assisted them in bringing the equipment, medicines and other supplies to Bgy. Butawanan which can only be reached through a long stretch of 12 hours of bad roads from Pili town.

She said the doctors and other health personnel were ferried last Saturday by Air Force helicopters from the Tactical Operations Group 5 of the Philippine Air Force based in this city last Saturday.

Barangay Butawanan has 450 household or more than 4,000 persons.

She pointed out that the barangay water supply was the source of contaminated water which came from an open spring.

She added that the situation is now under control and refused to say that there is already an outbreak. (PIA V/Albay)