By Allison
Lopez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:01:00 09/23/2008
Source of
Article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080923-162304/Food-poisoning-victims-hit-112
Trinidad Galang,
the school principal, said in a report to the Department of Education that 19 students
were hospitalized on Saturday while an additional 93 sought treatment the
following day.
As of Monday, 35 students were still
confined either at the
The students, who ranged from grades one
to five, complained of stomach pains, diarrhea, fever and nausea after eating mais con yelo, egg sandwiches and
hot dogs at the school canteen on Friday.
Results of fecal tests done on the
children showed that they tested positive for gastroenteritis and amoebiasis.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has ordered DepEd National Capital Region Director Teresita
Domalanta to conduct an investigation of the
suspected case of food poisoning.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim also gave a
similar order to city health and education officials.
City schools superintendent Dr. Luisa
Quinones said that based on the initial findings of city health officer Dr.
Lorraine Sanchez, the school canteen was “clean” and had complied with sanitary
requirements.
“In preparing the mais
con yelo,
they used branded products from the supermarket which were not expired. The
water used was found to be safe,” Quinones said, adding that the hot dogs and
egg sandwiches were also freshly prepared.
She added that Galang
had said in her report that most of the students who were affected lived in
areas near a sewer on Reina Regente, with the principal implying that the victims could have
ingested contaminated drinking water.
“At this point, I cannot say our school
cannot be blamed but because there are no conclusive findings yet, we must look
at all angles. The city health department is already coordinating with Maynilad to check the [water] pipes,” Quinones said.
The school canteen will be closed for
three to five days while an investigation of the incident is ongoing.
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