DOH to check school for suspected A H1N1

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Health will now be looking into a private school after finding out that 42 students there showed flu-like symptoms but the school did not contact DOH and preferred the cases be tested in a private hospital.

During a press conference yesterday, DOH spokesperson Dr. Cora Lou Kintanar said that they will be looking into the issue since they see two concerns regarding the matter. First, the school did not contact them and second is that they had the tests for Influenza A(H1N1) taken in a private hospital that is not accredited to make Polymerase Chain Reaction tests.

Kintanar explained that other schools which had students with the symptoms were visited by their team because they were contacted but the exclusive school did not call their office and instead had their students tested in a private hospital.

A report also said that when the Department of Health tried to inspect the said private high school, the school administrators allegedly refused to accommodate the health officials.

“As for the hospital, the issue is that they are not accredited to do the tests,” Kintanar explained saying that even their laboratory, which is the one accredited to do PCR tests, was inspected closely by members of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

She explained that private hospitals are only allowed to take in patients but DOH will be the ones to take the swab tests.

“This is for the sake of the uniformity of the tests,” she added.

Kintanar said that the private hospital already admitted that they did the tests. She said that they will be looking in to the matter since it should have passed through their licensing and regulations group.

As for the exclusive school, Kintanar said that they will be talking with the administrators of the school but she believes that despite them not contacting DOH, the school practiced their sense of responsibility in caring for the students’ health.

She said that even if the school does not want their help, they still have the power to look in to the matter since this is a public health threat and concerns many.

As of press time, confirmed cases in Central Visayas still remains at 33.

Reports of some Korean visitors who were suspected to have symptoms were all negative said Kintanar.

Aside from the said exclusive school and the earlier reported cases under observation in Talamban High School and Philippine Science High School in Argao town, they also visited two other private schools in Metro Cebu and another two in Naga and Minglanilla each.

Kintanar said that after their visit to the Talamban High School, they told the principal to disinfect the rooms where the students stayed and also buy alcohol since they have classrooms in the hill which does not have water.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus yesterday urges private elementary and high schools in Cebu to closely coordinate with the DOH if there is possible case of H1N1 in their respective school to prevent the spread of the virus.

Lapus, who is here for a speaking engagement, said private schools should be reminded that it is for the safety, not only for the students but also the teachers. — AJ de la Torre with Jose P. Sollano/BRP (THE FREEMAN)