More ‘victims’ admitted to hospital in Bry. Guba
Incident should serve as a warning to hire a reliable caterer, says Osmeña
These patients earlier opted to self-medicate at home because they couldn’t afford to go to the hospital Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office visits houses in Sitios Tawagan 1, 2 and Santol in Barangay Sirao to encourage residents complaining of stomach pains to seek medical assistance
SOME 62 additional residents of Sitio Tawagan II, Barangay Sirao, Cebu City were admitted to the Guba Community Hospital yesterday after eating spaghetti and chicken during an outreach program last Monday.
Nagiel Bañacia, chief of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said new patients earlier opted to selfmedicate at home because they couldn’t afford to go to the hospital.
A total of 120 patients are now under observation, while 134 patients have been released.
Bañacia said that they continued their house visi- tations in Sitios Tawagan I, 2 and Santol to encourage residents complaining of stomach pains to go to the hospital.
Submitted for testing
Businesswoman Elena Chua, who grows Celosia flowers in an 8,500-square-meter farm in Barangay Sirao, distributed the food packs to her neighbors.
Dr. Alma Corpin, chief of the City Health Department (CHD), said samples of the spaghetti were already submitted to the Department if Science and Technology (DOST) for testing.
Corpin said it will take at least two weeks for DOST to determine if the food was contaminated.
The CHD also inspected the people who prepared the food last Monday.
“Right now, I’m just waiting for the result of the test and we will see, we will come with a report,” she said.
In his news conference yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he ordered the Cebu City Medical Center and CHD not to charge the patients.
Traumatized donor
“This is one of the saddest stories I’ve heard, that I’ve experienced as mayor of the City of Cebu. They wanted to help the people and then this accident happens where the spaghetti was spoiled. So many fell ill,” he said.
The incident, Osmeña said, should serve as a warning to the public to be careful in choosing a caterer.
Because of the incident, he will ask the CHD to conduct a seminar on safety food.
The mayor said he will not go after the Chua family since they acted in good faith, adding that they have been traumatized by the event.