35 persons already killed by disease
By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
BUTUAN CITY — An outbreak of amoebiasis hit remote tribal villages in San Luis, Agusan del Sur as 35 persons reportedly died of the disease, a government official reported yesterday.
The National Communities on Indigenous People (NCIP), the provincial government of Agusan del Sur, the municipal government of San Luis and the health offices are joining hands in the efforts to combat the amoebic diarrhea.
Elvira Catuburan, chief of the region’s technical and operation division of the NCIP, said that at least eight persons were in critical medication at the D.O.P. Memorial Hospital in Patin-ay, Prosperidad town, and in the San Luis Health Center.
"We tried our best to stop the amoebiasis. However, the dreaded disease continues to stalk the Banwaon tribes," Catuburan said.
The badly hit areas are Sta. Rita (Kilometer 24), Binicalan (Km 55), GalongGalong and Minpahaw, all tribal barangays in San Luis town, which have no clean source of potable water, she said.
One tribal leader already died of the the disease, Catuburan said.
Government authorities suspected that the outbreak was caused by contaminated water.
The municipal government of San Luis has declared an outbreak of the disease which now affect some 300 residents since late October, this year.
The provincial government of Agusan del Sur headed by Agusan del Sur Gov. Adolph Edward Plaza, his elder brother Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, San Luis Mayor Jose Chua, NCIP and regional health office have deployed more medical teams in the area to avert the spread of the disease.
Catuburan and his team, Dr. Psyche Nebrada of NCIP, Dr. Alladin Plaza, San Luis health officer, and several nurses and midwives found that water in the nearby areas of Malatado, Guisaw-an and Tamyang, all of Barangay Binikalan, are already contaminated with amoeba.
At least R500,000 had been drawn from the local health fund, while the Governor Plaza had given medicines worth R100,00.
The municipal government is seeking more financial and medical assistance as the aid earlier extended to the victims had already been exhausted.
Mayor Chua said the Banwaon highlanders believed that the outbreak was caused by contaminated water, poor personal hygiene, and improper disposal of waste.
Amoebiasis is caused by eating food and drinking water contaminated by amoeba, medical experts said.
Government authorities are continuously conducting information drive on how to combat the illness.
"We are doing our best to stop this," Governor Plaza said.
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