published November 12, 2011 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY -- The typhoid fever outbreak in Leyte has prompted renewed calls for the strict and regular monitoring of the quality of water sources.
On Thursday, the Department of Health said the number of affected residents has doubled to 407 in five Leyte towns namely, Carigara, Barugo, Capoocan, Tunga, and Jaro.
"Most of those reported this week are old cases but were not immediately recorded by local health authorities. There have been fewer confinements in hospitals in the past days," DoH regional sentinel nurse Roderick Boyd S. Cerro said in a telephone interview.
He said the outbreak could have been prevented had local sanitary inspectors included water sources in their regular monitoring activities. He lamented that the inspectors currently focus only on food establishments.
"The inspection of water quality should be prioritized because majority of the population depends on water districts for their drinking water supply," Mr. Cerro said.
Under the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, the local sanitary inspectors are mandated to check sites of water sources before their construction; delivery of water to consumers from new or recently repaired water systems; and certification of potability of drinking water.
Regular bacteriological examination of water sources every six months while a general systematic chemical examination every year should be conducted.
Mr. Cerro said majority of the cases were reported in the remote areas of Carigara and Barugo. All affected areas get their drinking water from the Metro Carigara Water District.
The utility, which has over 5,000 water concessionaires, sources its water supply from a river located in Barangay Macalpi, in Carigara town.
"We believe that the water district has applied residual chlorine to treat the water but the level is low that it may not have reached the end of distribution lines," Mr. Cerro told BusinessWorld.
The DoH is set to release next week the result of bacteriological examinations of the water sample provided by the utility.
In a radio interview, Dolores Bodo of the MCWD commercial division and customer service said they conduct a bacteriology test monthly.
"And if there are leakages from our water pipes, we immediately take action on it," Ms. Bodo said, adding that they have already deployed some personnel to check on the condition of those downed by typhoid fever. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano
was the result of bacteriological examinations of the water sample released already?
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