Another baby from Kanlaon evacuation center dies

ENTERTAINED. The children of families in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, who were evacuated after the Dec. 9, 2024 eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, copped up in shelter and are now entertained after a television unit is installed in the facility on Jan. 16. PHOTO COURTESY OF SERBISYONANEJO

BACOLOD CITY—Another infant from an evacuation center in La Castellana town of Negros Occidental for residents displaced by last December’s eruption of Mt. Kanlaon has died.

Dr. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said the fatality, a 9-month-old boy, succumbed to sepsis and pneumonia on Jan. 25.

According to Pinongan, the boy had a cough and intermittent fever five days before he was referred to a hospital.

“When the municipal health office personnel saw the patient one hour prior to referral to the Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela town, the patient was already severely dehydrated,” she said.

The child was brought by his parents to a private doctor and was given antibiotics but he later died, Pinongan said.

Last Dec. 25, an infant, also a nine-month-old boy, from another evacuation center in La Castellana, also died at a hospital. The baby succumbed to cardiopulmonary arrest due to “acute gastroenteritis with severe dehydration.”

No neglect

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the deaths of the two babies were not caused by mismanagement at the evacuation centers, especially that the provincial government has been closely monitoring the displaced residents.

There are currently 9,684 evacuees still in evacuation centers in La Castellana, Bago City and La Carlota City in Negros Occidental and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental following the eruption of Mt. Kanlan on Dec. 9 last year.

Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, regional director of the Department of Health-Negros Island Region, said health officials have been doing their best to prevent illnesses at the 34 evacuation centers, with medicines readily available to evacuees.

She said the highest consultations at the evacuation centers in the two Negros provinces were for cough and colds.

Second phase

Diaz said the provincial government will launch the second phase of its program to provide healthy meals to the evacuees as soon as the paper work for the P50 million given by the Office of the President is completed.

“The deed of donation for the P50M needs a signature from the Office of the President, which is expected soon,” Diaz said.

The food of the evacuees is currently being provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the local governments where they are located.

The evacuees, who live within the 6-kilometer danger zone of the volcano, were not allowed to go back to their homes. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has warned of an abrupt increase in the volcano’s ground deformation that could lead to another sudden eruption similar to the one that occurred on Dec. 9.