Red Cross wary of post-Sendong diseases in CDO, Iligan

Health workers are beginning to get wary of the possible spread of various diseases in flood-hit areas in northern Mindanao due to lack of clean water and proper sanitation.   Gwendolyn Pang, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) secretary general, said some evacuees in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan — two of the hardest hit areas by storm Sendong — are beginning to get sick a few days after they were displaced from their homes.   “’Yung iba, paubo-ubo, pasipon-sipon. Siyempre, wala silang maayos na tirahan,” she said in a phone interview.   She said while her organization has recorded only a few incidents of diseases in evacuation centers so far, they are wary that more displaced residents will get sick in the coming days because of water shortage.   “Wala kasing maayos na tubig kaya maaaring magkaroon sila ng diarrhea. Wala ring tubig panlinis, so there is also the possibility of skin disorders and infections, because some of them experienced punctures,” Pang said.   Affected residents who did not leave their homes but are constantly exposed to floodwaters and mud may also get water-borne diseases, she added.   The PRC official likewise said that her group is still trying its best to bring water to affected areas and to distribute hygiene kits containing soaps, shampoo and other toiletries to prevent the spread of disease.   Local officials have already appealed for anti-tetanus medications to avoid the possible infection of injuries obtained during the storm's onslaught.   More than 63,000 families were affected when Sendong caused flash floods and landslides in portions of Visayas and Mindanao, based on data from the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.  The NDRRMC likewise said that 957 people have already been confirmed dead due to the storm, with 49 others still missing. — Andreo C. Calonzo/KBK, GMA News