BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
While there are no reported cholera cases in Negros Occidental, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Ernell Tumimbang is not taking chances, as he called on City and Municipal Health Officers in Negros Occidental to be on the lookout for water borne diseases.
This was after Tumimbang received sporadic reports of gastro intestinal illnesses, such as typhoid fever cases, which are similar to cholera.
He stressed the need for CHOs or MHOs to check their respective water supplies, including deep wells and open wells and water sources of water refilling stations.
The City Health Office earlier raised an alert on safe food and water consumption after it confirmed a documented cholera case over the weekend in Bacolod City
The latest report showed that based on the September 16 result, the patient, a 37-year-old female, was confined at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, for five days due to severe dehydration.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said there are many areas in Negros Occidental where people get drinking water from open wells which might be contaminated.
Diaz reminded the 31 local government units (LGUs) in the province to strictly enforce a zero-open defecation policy in order to combat cholera and other water-borne diseases.
Due to rising Acute Gastroenteritis (AGE) in Region 6, the Department of Health Western Visayas is conducting environmental surveillance in affected areas of the region.*