THE Weekly Iron Folic Acid (Wifa) Program of the Department of Health (DOH) in different public schools in Davao Region is continuously implemented while the investigation of the 123 students, who complained of stomach aches after their intake of folic acid tablets last July 11 in Mati City is still ongoing.
DOH-Davao Regional Health Education and Promotion Officer Yasuy Avila said the department has to isolate the investigation only to Lawigan National High School in Mati City because the program was successfully implemented in other schools with few students having adverse reactions.
"Iron and Folic Acid supplements really have reactions to the person taking it. But the department considered this as a special case because the 123 students were affected," Avila said.
DOH-Epidemiology Bureau (EB) from the national office, she said, went to Mati City a day after the incident to head the investigation and assess what may have caused the stomach aches.
Avila said the DOH-EB investigated samples of blood, feces, urine, and vomited liquid from the affected students to see whether the incident was due to the preparation of the food, the possibility of water contamination, or the dosage of the supplements given.
The DOH-EB, she added, is expected to present the tentative result of their investigation on Wednesday, July 19.
"The result is important for the department to know whether the program has to be restructured or are there other surrounding factors to be removed or added," Avila said.
Avila said the department reminds everyone, even those who regularly take iron and folic acid supplements, to drink it with a full stomach as significant effects may occur when a person does not eat before taking it.
She added that social media users must be careful with what they are posting as they may cause panic with the wrong information they are disseminating.
"After the incident in Mati, many posts said that it was food poisoning when in fact it was not even a feeding program. People have to verify every information they are posting," Avila said. (With RJL)