THE Cagayan de Oro City Health Office (CHO) reported 600 cases of acute gastroenteritis over the past two weeks but confirmed that no new cases have been recorded recently.
CHO Officer Dr. Rachel Daba-Dilla confirmed the numbers in an update with the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) and the City’s Information Office (CIO) yesterday, October 2.
Daba-Dilla clarified that all 600 cases met the case definition of diarrhea. She said 200 of the patients were hospitalized, while the others were treated as outpatients.
“Daghan sad tag mga pasyente nga out-patient lang, ang uban naa lang sa ER gitagaan lang ug tambal, naa say naa ra sa balay,” Daba-Dilla told reporters.
She noted the significant increase, comparing the recent two-week total of 600 cases to the 200 cases recorded for all of last year, prompting the activation of the city’s incident command center.
Despite the high count, Daba-Dilla expressed relief that their interventions had resulted in a pause in new cases.
“Pero pasalamat ta sa Ginoo after sa atong gipang himo nga intervention sa mga specific areas of concern, wala na sad tay kaso karon. We don’t have new cases,” Daba-Dilla said.
She reiterated that acute diarrhea is the body’s response to getting rid of contaminated water or food.
Meanwhile, Engineer Edna Najeal, general manager of COWD, said the water district is conducting flushing, particularly in specific areas.
“We conduct flushing to certain areas to make sure nga pag maka abot na sya sa establishments and households, we are sure nga limpyo ang tubig,” Najeal said.
Najeal added that the COWD increased the chlorine level but assured residents that it remains tolerable for human consumption.
The water district also continues to conduct water sampling and has intensified its “Bisita sa Barangay” initiative to educate consumers on their role in ensuring water safety at the household level.
