Over 100 people were reported to have gotten sick following the oil spill in the coast of Oriental Mindoro, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
DOH Undersecretary and Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that 122 people have fallen ill. Most of the cases experienced headache and respiratory symptoms like cough and colds.
“Marami din pong mga nahihilo–16. Meron pong mga sumakit ang tyan. Nahirapan huminga, sampu; meron nagkaroon ng skin rashes (Also, many of them experienced dizziness—16. Some had stomach aches. Ten experienced breathing difficulties, some had skin rashes)— around seven,” added Vergeire.
“And meron lima na na-agravate dahil nga nai-inhale nila–na aggravate ang kanilang asthma (there were five [individuals] whose asthma were aggravated due to inhalation),” she furthered.
Of the cases, only one was hospitalized, said Vergeire.
“All in all, halos lahat naman recovered. Katulad nga ng sabi ko dati, isa lang po ang napasugod natin sa ospital kasi nag asthmatic attack but after one day nailabas na rin (most of them have recovered. As I’ve said before, only one was rushed to the hospital due to asthmatic attack but was discharged the next day),” she said.
Currently, the DOH is monitoring and providing assistance to the affected communities to prevent symptoms, said Vergeire.
To recall, the oil tanker MT Princess Empress, which was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial oil, sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro last Feb. 28.