AT LEAST eight poll workers in Central Visayas suffered medical emergencies while on duty during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) last Oct. 30, 2023.
Commission on Elections-Central Visayas (Comelec 7) Director Lionel Marco Castillano, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, said some of these workers were rushed to the hospital.
According to the data provided by Comelec 7 to VoxPop Cebu, of the eight affected poll workers, two were from Negros Oriental, four were from Cebu Province, and two were from Cebu City.
Castillano said these workers held various positions within the electoral board, such as the third member, poll clerk and chairperson.
Emergencies
Common medical emergencies observed among these workers included high blood pressure, severe chest pain, body pain, fainting spells, hypertension, fever, dizziness, vomiting, and even a heart attack.
Castillano cited a case in Cebu City South District where a third member of the electoral board was admitted to a private hospital due to severe chest pain, headache, and muscle aches in the arms and legs.
In Negros Oriental, a poll clerk of a voting center in a barangay in Bacong town suffered a heart attack after the canvassing and was urgently transported to a local medical center.
The director said no poll worker in the region died.
Assistance
He added that he would be asking for financial assistance from the Comelec en banc in its central office in Manila for the affected poll workers who needed medical attention.
Castillano confirmed that they are still investigating additional reports and awaiting confirmation, indicating that more poll workers might be added to the list of those needing medical attention during the election.
Additionally, Castillano commended the Department of Education (DepEd) for assigning nurses to schools in the region that had been converted into voting centers, as they were able to respond to the emergencies promptly.
Castillano attributed the medical emergencies reported to the extreme heat that was experienced during the election day last Monday.
Accidents
Earlier, DepEd Spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa assured assistance for teachers involved in BSKE accidents.
During a press conference at the Comelec Command Center in Manila, Poa confirmed additional accidents involving teachers serving as electoral board members on polling day.
In Legazpi, Albay, a female teacher tragically lost her life in a motorcycle accident while en route to the voting precinct. Meanwhile, in Pangasinan, a male teacher was bitten by a snake while delivering election materials, while a teacher in Davao City suffered a bone fracture in a vehicular accident.