170 lumad evacuees now ill in Surigao

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

TANDAG CITY- At least 170 lumad evacuees mostly children including infants, women and elderly who have been staying here at the Surigao del Sur provincial sports complex for more than two weeks already have fallen ill like cough with fever and diarrhea.

Nurse Judith Maisog, head coordinator of CBHP told The Gold Star Daily five mothers had delivered babies out of the total 49 pregnant evacuees her group has officially recorded and monitored.

Maisog said that since September 1 at least five evacuees were sent to different hospitals here in Tandag City daily especially at government owned  Adela Serra Ty Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

“To date about 60 evacuees turned patients are still confined at Adela Serra Ty Memorial Hospital, other clinics and district hospital diagnosed with various illnesses,” Maisog added.

“We are appealing for those kind hearted individuals or groups to help us provide ointments, eye drops or medicines for sore eyes as around 100 out of the 170 evacuees fallen ill here now had sore eyes. We are afraid it will increase because sore eyes is highly contagious,” Maisog said.

Maisog said the provincial government of Surigao del Sur led by Gov. Johnny Pimentel had been helping her NGO with medicines and eye drops but these are not enough.

Maisog claimed one four year old child Renabel Enriquez, an evacuee together with her parents from Magkahunaw,  Barangay Diatagon, Surigao del Sur died at the evacuation center here due to complicated illness she claimed cough, fever then suffered diarrhea.

“This is maybe to the condition here at the evacuation center which is open to wind, sudden change of climate as it rains in the evening and late afternoon but from morning to early afternoon you have too much heat from scorching sun,” Maisog said.