SUMMARY
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COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Emergency response workers rushed at least 55 public school children to a hospital on Wednesday morning, May 10, after inhaling insecticide used by farmers to spray a farm near the school in Maguindanao del Norte.
The children complained of dizziness, headaches, stomach aches, and vomiting.
The Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Office of Upi, Maguindanao del Norte, reported that they began rushing the children to a government hospital starting at 8:30 am.
Dr. Mohammad Ariff Baguindali, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office, who rushed to the Datu Blah Sinsuat Hospital in Upi to check on the children, confirmed that “it’s a case of chemical inhalation.”
Upi is a major agricultural supplier of rice, corn, and vegetables in the province, and many farmers rely on insecticides to protect their crops and achieve better harvests.
“We currently have 23 admitted patients, and 32 others are under observation,” he said.
Dr. Baguindali said the initial investigation showed that farmers had just finished spraying an insecticide called Vendex outside the school.
But he assured that the children who fell ill after inhaling the chemical were out of danger, after they received medical attention.
Baguindali said there was a need for the local government to allow the spraying of pesticides near schools only during weekends to prevent a repeat of the incident.
“Regular exposure to chemicals could pose long-term health risks to children,” he pointed out. – Rappler.com
Ferdinandh Cabrera is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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