SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 November) — At least 97 trainees of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were rushed to the Caraga Regional Hospital on Friday afternoon in Surigao City after complaining of stomach ache.
Police Supt. Russel Caballero Maca, regional training director at Camp George T Barbers, a training school in Barangay Lipata this city said the trainees suffered diarrhea.
Dr. Luis Logarte, one of the attending physicians, said they were still waiting for results of the laboratory tests.
[caption id="attachment_65675" align="alignleft" width="640"] At least 97 police trainees were admitted at the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City on Friday afternoon for stomach ache and diarrhea. The remainng 27 trainees as of Saturday afternoon were sent back to the training school that evening. MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO[/caption]
Surigao City Health Office head Dr. Arlene Felizarta said they conducted an investigation at the training school, interviewed the patients, got samples of water for laboratory examinations talked to the caterer.
Felizarta has yet to release results of the lab tests.
Jonathan Sequina, one of the trainees, said he suffered a stomach ache Friday afternoon and he along with five others were the first to be rushed to the hospital.
“Most of us suffered stomach pain and diarrhea after eating adobong manok and ginataang kalabasa,” he said.
Carla Mae Tagutingan, also a police trainee, said she had been complaining of stomach pains since Thursday.
Tagutingan said there are 550 police trainees but only 97 were affected and sent to the hospital.
SPO4 Dennis F. Maning, chief of the Applied Training Affairs Division said all 97 were declared safe after treatment in the hospital.
Maning said only 27 out of 97 patients remained as of Saturday afternoon at the hospital but were sent back to the school by evening. (Roel Catoto / MindaNews)