Governor likens outbreak in Tuburan to Moalboal case

CEBU, Philippines - The extent of typhoid outbreak in Tuburan is said to be comparable to the gastroenteritis outbreak in Moalboal town in 2004, observed Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

Since Sunday, the Integrated Provincial Health Office recorded over 1,000 cases of typhoid fever in Tuburan with four deaths. The water system is suspected to be the cause of the outbreak.

More than 200 patients were also admitted to the Tuburan District Hospital while some were referred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

In 2004, four people died while over 100 were admitted to hospitals due to gastroenteritis caused by a contaminated water supply in Moalboal town in southern Cebu.

The incident prompted Garcia, fresh from her first election as governor at that time, to push for local government units to manage the operation of water systems as empowered under Section 16 of the Local Government Code.

The water system of Tuburan is managed by the local government. In fact, Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator, Engr. Adolfo Quiroga, said that the provincial government provided the new pipelines.

The Provincial Water Task Force has put up Monday a chlorinator at the spring box of the main source of water in sitio Magdagook, Barangay Kalanganan, some 14 kilometers away from the Tuburan town proper.

Quiroga said they are also inspecting the pipelines for possible leaking when the magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Cebu last month.

The provincial government has sent out 50 sacks of rice and 30 boxes of canned goods to affected families when the outbreak was reported.

Because of the increase of reported cases, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Marivic Graces said they had to send 25 more sacks of rice and 15 more boxes of canned goods and water to Tuburan yesterday.

Garces said each pack contains 10 kilos of rice and a dozen of canned goods given to each affected families.

While health officials expect that the outbreak would last a few more days, IPHO chief, Dr. Cristina Giango said the number of patients is decreasing compared to the previous days.

The municipalities of Tabuelan, Asturias and Balamban deployed their doctors and nurses to help attend to patients admitted to the Tuburan District Hospital.

Doctors and nurses of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center and Philippine National Red Cross went to Tuburan to help.

The 78th Infantry Batallion also provided one big collapsible tent and folding beds to accommodate patients, considering that the hospital only has a bed capacity of 25 patients. – (FREEMAN)