ONE of the more than 300 victims taken to the hospital after inhaling alleged toxic chemical in Sibalom town, Antique province on July 2. (Office of Congressman Legarda)
ILOILO CITY – The province of Antique is awaiting test results to determine what toxin caused more than 300 people from Sibalom town to be hospitalized on July 2.
Dr. Rommel Garganera, chief of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), said that swab samples have been taken from the victims who were mostly students.
Garganera said it may take anywhere from a week to 10 days for test results to be released after swab samples were sent to the Ateneo de Manila University laboratory in Quezon City.
The victims were taken to the hospital last Wednesday after they fainted at the Pis-anan National High and Pis-anan Central Elementary Schools. Othe victims experienced difficulty breathing, extreme chest pains, vomiting, and chills.
The Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Antique PDRMMO) reported that foul odor emanated from the high school.
School officials said that many started falling ill after inhaling foul odor described as rotten guava.
Antique PDRRMO chief Broderick Train disclosed that sanitation of school buildings has begun, upon the recommendation of the Department of Health (DOH) to hose down school buildings with water conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).