MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has recorded 3,461 acute gastroenteritis cases in the province of Pangasinan from January 1 to July 18 this year, 107 percent higher than the 1,674 cases in the same period last year.
In an interview on Tuesday, PHO chief Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman said most of the patients are children aged one to four years old.
De Guzman attributed this to the hygiene, food preparation, and unclean source of drinking water.
“Since they are children, their hygiene, especially their hands, might have been unclean. It might also be due to unclean feeding bottles or food preparation. It could also be that their source of water might be contaminated,” she said.
The mortality or death due to acute gastroenteritis also rose to 19 cases this year from 10 during the same period last year.
“There might be a delay in bringing the patients to the hospitals that eventually led to their death. Parents should monitor their children for dehydration since acute gastro results in fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. They should not self-medicate and if there are signs of dehydration, such as lack of tears when crying or weakness or sunken eyes, they should immediately seek medical intervention in hospitals,” de Guzman said.
She said the PHO is urging the local government units and the community to inspect their water source to ensure it is safe for drinking.
“They should also ensure that the water being used in preparing foods is clean, especially this rainy season,” she added.
De Guzman also advised the parents to boil their drinking water for at least three minutes if they are unsure of the safety of its source.
“They may also prepare oral first-aid. They may prepare boiled drinking water (one liter) with a tablespoon of salt and sugar. But it is important that they bring their child to the hospital if there are signs of dehydration,” she said.
De Guzman said the provincial government-run hospitals have a fast lane for emergency cases of acute gastroenteritis.
“There is enough supply of medicine and IV fluids in our hospitals,” she said.
The towns and cities under the PHO’s monitoring for acute gastroenteritis are Umingan, Lingayen, Mangaldan, Malasiqui, Bolinao, San Carlos City, Binmaley, Pozorrubio, Alaminos City, and Dasol. (PNA)
