DOH: Avoid food sold in cemeteries

No early birds at Barangka Cemetery in Marikina City which remains crowd-free just days ahead of All Saints’ Day. RAFFY LERMA

After offering prayers for their dearly departed, most Filipinos turn Undas into a family picnic.

But the Department of Health is cautioning the public against buying food sold in cemeteries on All Saints’ Day, saying cases of food poisoning and diarrhea are usually caused by sources traced to such places.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona on Tuesday advised the people who intend to spend the day at the cemetery to bring their own food and water and to avoid food that easily gets spoiled.

Ona also advised against bringing babies and small children to the cemetery, saying they are more prone to diseases and other infections due to their low resistance.

All DOH hospitals nationwide will be on Code White alert during the observance of All Saints’ Day, he said.

A Code White alert level indicates the readiness of every hospital personnel to respond to emergency situations. Emergency service personnel, nurses and administrative staff members residing at hospital dormitories will be placed on an on-call status.

“The DOH-Health Emergency Management Staff will be monitoring the situation 24 hours to respond to various health emergencies that may need immediate medical attention,” Ona said.

He added that the DOH is closely coordinating with local government units, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Bureau of Fire Protection who will also be deploying medical teams near cemeteries.—Erika Sauler

Originally posted: 2:05 pm | Tuesday, October 29th, 2013