health

Virus holds on in Bocas

Despite the Ministerio de Salud´s assurances that the diarrhea outbreak affecting children in Bocas del Toro has been steadily waning since last week, hospital staff continue to report a record number of cases.

At the Hospital de Changuinola, in one of the coastal communities hardest hit, wards remain packed with children awaiting medical attention.

A source at the hospital who preferred to remain anonymous said that as of Wednesday, 680 children between the ages of 1 and 9 had been admitted to the hospital with fever, diarrhea and nausea. Although no deaths have been reported, nine of the children are in serious condition.

"So far we are prescribing Metronidazole when test results indicate a parasitic or viral infection," explained Marco Madrid, the hospital´s medical director. Other than antibiotics, Madrid indicated that rehydration was crucial to treating diarrhea, which depletes the body of vital liquids and nutrients.

The Ministerio de Salud has sought support from the Departamento de Epidemiología de la Caja del Seguro Social to provide hygiene education to the areas most at risk.

Armando Díaz, the regional director of the Instituto de Alcantarillados Nacionales, promised to continue testing the water in the northwest corner of the province, but that as of yet no irregularities had been detected in the water supply.