Comfort rooms to solve contamination issue

CEBU, Philippines - Sanitation and lack of comfort rooms remain a concern in Sitio Bayabas, Barangay Subayon, Toledo City where more than 20 people recently suffered from fever and stomach ache.

Toledo City Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha believes that human waste from the elevated area of Sitio Bayabas goes down to the well and contaminates the primary water source of the area.

In fact, the water samples extracted by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of Department of Health-7 from the well tested positive of fecal coliform and presence  of Escherichia coli bacteria.

With this, Yapha said the city sees the need to “improve” the sanitation in the area by establishing comfort rooms there.

“Tagaan nato sila og toilet bowls aron naa sila’y proper comfort rooms,” he told reporters over the phone.

He added that the city will still have to coordinate with the Cebu provincial government on the plan to distribute toilet bowls.

The Department of Health-7 recommended the sealing of deep well with a concrete slab to prevent people from taking water from the source.

In a separate interview, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who earlier visited the affected sitio, said the province has already purchased a jetmatic pump and other needed materials for the treatment of the water source.

A jetmatic pump will be used to transfer water from the well to a reservoir where the chlorination will be undertaken, Magpale explained.

The province is still waiting for the approval of the Toledo City government so it could proceed with the sealing of the well.

Yapha said Toledo City welcomes the action of the provincial government.

“Di mi mobalibad ana kay para man na sa kaayuhan sa Toledo,” he said.

For the meantime, Yapha said the city is providing potable water to affected residents and is also looking after the patients who are still confined at the Toledo City Hospital.

A total of 26 residents of Sitio Bayabas were earlier reported to have been experiencing on-and-off fever.

At least 14 of them were admitted to the Toledo City Hospital while one was eventually referred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.  (FREEMAN)