Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 21) — The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said a total of 191 people have fallen ill due to the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro, adding that most have already recovered.
The DOH said data collected from March 2 to 20 have shown numbers have risen from last week’s 176.
“Unang-una sa listahan ang nakakaranas ng respiratory symptoms. Yung iba nakaranas ng pagkahilo, yung iba nagkaroon ng masakit na tiyan, at yung iba nangangati ang balat,” DOH office-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a media briefing.
[Translation: First on the list are those with respiratory symptoms. Others experienced dizziness, others had stomach aches and skin irritation.]
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However, the DOH said most who experienced these illnesses have recovered.
“Meron pong [There are] 101 out of the 191 that have recovered from their symptoms. Yung iba continuous ang monitoring,” said Vergeire.
She added that only one person was brought to the hospital during the first week of the spill. The individual had an asthma attack, but was released a day later.
The DOH said it continues to coordinate with the local government and other agencies to make sure illnesses in communities affected by the spill do not worsen.
“We continue to conduct air quality monitoring, nagkaroon na rin ng water sampling. Nagkaroon na rin ng analysis nung mga nakukuha from the collection of oil on the shoreline — ginagamit natin ang mga resulta pag lumabas na para mas mapaigting pa ang response at pagprotekta sa mga komunidad laban sa mga health effects ng oil spill,” said Vergeire.
[Translation: We continue to conduct air quality monitoring and there has been water sampling. And the oil collected along the shoreline has also been analyzed — we use the results to further strengthen our response and protect communities from the health effects of the oil spill.]
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