PHO proposing for one water lab in each congressional district

The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) is proposing to establish a drinking water analysis laboratory in each of the six congressional districts of the province for faster response in addressing water-borne diseases.

Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said they discussed the proposal during an exit conference between the PHO, teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) that visited cholera-affected areas in the province last week.

“There should be an analysis of water source. Drinking water stations should have (laboratory analysis) every month, but they find it costly. And they need to bring the water samples to Bacolod City. It takes time to analyze, and the results are even released after a month,” she said in an interview.

As such, Pinongan said the possibility of the province putting up a Category C laboratory, which has a microbiological-physical-chemical service capability, has been recommended.

The PHO chief said other inter-local health zones are also interested in establishing a Category A laboratory for microbiological analysis.

“We are looking at our district hospitals to cater such service since they have medical technologists on duty. This way, we have a water analysis laboratory in every district,” she added.

Pinongan said the teams from the WHO and the DOH visited the cities of Silay and Talisay and E.B. Magalona town in the third district, which have reported cholera outbreaks in the past.

“The cases are not increasing. We have sporadic cases, not just in the third district. There were also cholera cases in the first district,” she said.* (with Nanette Guadalquiver, PNA)