SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 23 February) — All 216 patients who were mostly admitted to the Esperanza Medicare Community Hospital for suspected food poisoning were already discharged and sent home Wednesday, the local government of Esperanza town in Agusan del Sur said in a Facebook post Thursday.
They were transported home aboard a large pump boat of the Search and Rescue Agusan del Sur.
The patients, all flood victims from Barangay Tandang Sora, Esperanza, suffered vomiting, stomachache, and diarrhea after eating food distributed by Philippine Red Cross staff on Monday.
They were served with chicken liver adobo, boiled egg and rice by the volunteer staff and cooks of the PRC Agusan del Sur Chapter, and about three hours later, some started experiencing stomach pains, prompting barangay health workers to report to Labiao.
Prompt medical attention at EMCH led to significant improvement for the victims who were admitted there. The others were treated at Bayugan City Community Hospitals and D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in Prosperidad town.
The timeline for laboratory testing by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City of the food and drinking water taken by the victims remains unclear.
Recommendations were made during a feedback session on Tuesday among the local government of Esperanza, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Caraga, and EMCH, including strict adherence to health, sanitation, and hygiene protocols, and improved coordination and communication with health authorities for planned activities.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Deo Manpatilan Jr. emphasized the need to refrain from assigning blame amidst the ongoing investigation.
“This is not the time to point fingers, especially as the Philippine Red Cross aims to assist. Our focus is on prevention for the future.”
Meanwhile, the PRC has suspended its “Hot Meals On Wheels” program in Agusan del Sur pending completion of the investigation.
In a statement, the PRC assured its full cooperation with the investigation, expressing deep concern for the hospitalized individuals and emphasizing transparency in coordination with the local government. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)