1 dead, 400 others down in Medina due to diarrhea

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

AN elderly man died while over 400 others fell ill in what the town legislature of Medina in Misamis Oriental called as an diarrhea outbreak.

The town council declared the outbreak through Sanggunian Bayan  Resolution 63-2017 as requested by Mayor Donato Chan, accordng to Mark Vosotros, the town legislature’s secretary.

This came the Medina Provincial Hospital recorded 427 town residents who suffered diarrhea from July 1 to July 7.

One elderly resident identified as 71-year old Alfonso Magallanes of Purok 5, south Poblacion, Medina died at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Of the 427 residents affected, 133 were confined in various hospitals while 294 others were outpatients.

The victims reportedly complained of  stomachaches while some found it difficult to stand up.

Vosotros said health officials in Medina sent water samples to the Department of Health for laboratory examination. The results are expected to be released today.

The Medina-based Axelum Resources Corp. blamed the diarrhea outbreak to coliform that allegedly contaminated the town’s water supply.

Vosotros said the alleged contamination was a result of a leak in the pipe of the Medina Rural Water Works Sanitary Cooperative (Merwasco).

The capitol quoted Dr. Ma. Alma Enriquez, a Medina physician, as saying that they suspected the town’s potable water source in Kibuntod have been contaminated.

She said Merwasa started flashing its pipelines, and was into chlorination.

The capitol, in a press statement, said Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano ordered an investigation into the Medina health crisis even as he ordered a team from the Misamis Oriental Care System (Misorcares) to be on “standby” mode.

Emano also tasked provincial health officer Jerie Calingasan to conduct a separate investigation to the possible causes of the outbreak.