174 displaced fishermen get aid

DAVAO CITY — The City Government of Davao extended medical assistance to 174 Filipino fishermen who arrived in Davao City on Saturday morning from Bitong, Indonesia where they were detained for alleged illegal fishing, said the City Information Office. A team from the City Health Office (CHO) initially did an evaluation of the fishermen with non-contact thermometer to check for the presence of fever – a symptom of transmittable diseases and virus. The CHO group was later joined by Department of Health team in conducting blood smear examinations. Most of the fishermen have bruises, boils, fever and cough, probably acquired while they were in detention and aggravated by the 3-day sea voyage. According to Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, CHO head, the medical evaluations conducted were primarily for malaria and dengue. Villafuerte said it is fortunate that no one is suffering from any dangerous infection. (Yas D. Ocampo)