MANILA, Philippines - Fearing an outbreak of diseases in earthquake-stricken areas in Bohol due to lack of potable water, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) yesterday urged residents to boil their drinking water.
PMA president Leo Olarte said diseases brought by poor sanitation and the lack of safe or potable water can worsen the tragedy that the residents are currently enduring.
“Due to lack of food and the absence of clean drinking water, disaster victims can acquire waterborne and other diseases that can also be as life threatening,†Olarte said.
The PMA head said victims who are isolated and living in makeshift shelters are exposed to harsh environment that could lead to various health problems.
“Even those in the evacuation centers are not spared of this possibility due to the not so ideal conditions there,†he said as he appealed to the victims to boil their drinking water, particularly if it came from sources that are not potable.
The group had sent more than a hundred members to conduct relief and rescue missions in the affected areas.
Olarte said they are deploying more teams to the hardest hit areas of Bohol like Loon, Maribojoc, Clarin, Tubigon, Calape, Sagbayan, Inabanga and Tagbilaran.
“We are also deploying medical specialists from Metro Manila to various health establishments that were hit by the earthquake,†he said.