ZAMBOANGA CITY—As government troops try to put an end to the conflict with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces, health authorities have started a new war—this time, against the possible outbreak of measles and chicken pox.
At least four cases of measles and another of chicken pox—both highly communicable diseases—have been monitored among evacuees at Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex, where at least 60,000 people displaced from the fighting have taken shelter, according to Dr. Joshua Brillantes of the Department of Health (DOH) regional office said.
“We have already recommended these (cases) for isolation,” Brillantes said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has placed the number of displaced residents still staying in 35 evacuation centers at 111,983.
Some have already returned to their homes and are now considered “community-based affected residents,” said the DSWD regional spokesperson, Narrabelle Bue.
This could explain why the number of evacuees has gone down from more than 114,000 last week to 99,000 on Sunday.
Some barangay (village) officials said some were checking their homes in the conflict areas in the morning but would return to the evacuation centers at night.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, who is on her second week in the city to oversee her department’s relief operations, said a total of P3.9 billion would be earmarked for the early recovery of these families and the rehabilitation of their homes.
Isolation tents
Brillantes said the DSWD had already provided isolation tents for communicable diseases.
The DOH has also started its vaccination campaign against measles, she said. “We are planning to vaccinate tent by tent,” she added.
At least 500 children, aged 6 months to 5 years, have so far been vaccinated.
Aside from measles and chicken pox, the DOH documented 128 cases of fever, 263 cases of colds, 77 cases of diarrhea, 10 cases of high blood pressure, and 33 cases of skin problems.
At least 14 physicians and 20 nurses are working at the stadium to address the health concerns of the evacuees.
On Saturday night, a 2-month-old baby boy died from severe dehydration, possibly due to diarrhea, at the sports complex, according to Fr. Eduardo Vasquez of the Cotabato-based Notre Dame Broadcasting Corp.
“Even the mother could barely walk, probably out of exhaustion,” Vasquez told the Inquirer on the phone.
Shelter Box tents
Soliman said the DSWD, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration and Shelter Box International, will install 380 Shelter Box tents and 300 laminated plastic sheets for the evacuees of Cawa Cawa shoreline evacuation center.—With reports from Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao; and Cynthia D. Balana in Manila