The aftermath of Typhoon Odette in Dumanjug town, southern Ceb. on December 19, 2021. | CDN Digital Photo by Morexette Marie Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines – As access and supply to potable water remains scarce in most parts of Cebu Island in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), local officials here expressed concern over the sprouting cases of diarrhea.
But in Cebu province, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia belied reports that they recorded confirmed cases of the water-borne disease.
Garcia, in an interview on Wednesday, December 29, said they have not received any verified reports of cases of diarrhea in Odette-stricken areas in the province.
She said none of the mayors reported of diarrhea outbreaks in their respective areas during their meeting on Wednesday morning.
“We met again just this morning. (And) the situation has vastly improved. And I have not heard of any diarrhea outbreak over here,” said Garcia.
However, the governor admitted that she is aware of rising cases of diarrhea in other parts of Cebu, as reported by the Department of Health (DOH).
But she told health officials from the national government to be prudent in releasing ‘unverified and unvalidated reports’.
“You see during these times, I would strongly urge all responsible health officials to be very, very careful about their reports. When they do report it, be sure that these reports are actually validated and verified because you cannot base your reporting on rumors,” Garcia pointed out.
“I read the report from Manila. It came with a caveat that this report is still being verified… There might be diarrhea in the brains of some who report out there in the media and have not verified such report. That’s diarrhea in the mind,” she added.
In the meantime, Garcia assured the public that the local government is ‘doing its best to address the shortage of water’ in several localities in Cebu province.
A week after Odette ravaged parts of Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan, the DOH recorded at least 150 patients suffering from diarrhea and gastroenteritis. The DOH said they received reports of 16 diarrhea cases in Cebu, 80 acute gastroenteritis in Dinagat Islands, and 54 diarrhea cases in Siargao District Hospital.
Cebu City, for its part, confirmed recording at least eleven children in conflict with the law (CICLs) in Operation Second Chance developing stomach illnesses. The city’s health department is still collating data from barangays where cases of diarrhea were reported. / with reports from INQUIRER.net
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