The Health Information Unit (Surveillance Unit) of the Ministry of Health have conducted investigations into reports of children getting sick after drinking pipe water in Bioche, and no results were found to support the concern.
Dominica News Online received reports that at least three children in the village had fallen ill after consuming tap water. These cases have since been deemed isolated.
Communicable Disease Surveillance Officer Dr.Shalandin Ahmed said in a statement today, “Our District Medical Officer at the Portsmouth Hospital as well as Community Health Nurse at the Dublanc Health Clinic searched their medical record for possible case/cases of water/food borne disease from Bioche village. They reported that there were no cases of water/food borne diseases that sought medical attention in those health facilities during period of last 10 days.”
The HIU said that although its field investigation found no children to confirm the reports, there were few adults who had upset stomach due to drinking dirty pipe water following heavy rain.
“They recovered without any medical attention,” the HIU said.
Nurse Saney Prosper and Environmental Health Officer -Mrs. Valerie -conducted the field investigations in the Bioche area.
“Surveillance officers reviewed the data received from the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department as well as from the children medical ward (Winston Ward) of Princess Margaret Hospital. There were no cases from Bioche for the past 10 days due to water borne diseases in the children medical ward as well as in A&E department,” Dr. Ahmed said.
The doctor said his team’s investigation revealed that the knowledge of children falling sick was not significant enough to command community wide attention. “It was a surprise news for villagers,” he added.
According to Dr. Ahmed, the general observation of the villagers on the subject is that following heavy rain pipe water usually gets dirty. During that period of heavy rain, whoever drinks dirty pipe water may experience upset stomach. There was nothing unusual.
In the cases that have actually affected children the HIU has asked that parents come forward and provide evidence-based information in order for the Surveillance Unit as well as Environmental Health Department to conduct thorough investigations.
This problem is not only in bioche just take a drive to the P.M.H and see the amount of people that are being treated after drinking tap water. This country is in a mess , it need to be clean up.
This problem is everywhere>
We are going backwards with regard better living conditions for the people who decide to stay in Dominica. Keeping in mind that there are more Dominicians living outside.
Apparently the water coming out of the taps in Soufriere today was scary and caused severe and instant vomiting in a 3 year old.
The water in Goodwill has been discoloured for more days than it is clear in recent times.
Dominica has been written about as The Water Island< but in recent times the purity of our drinking water is of serious concern.
DWASCO water is contaminated every time that the water is suddenly shut off after a storm and then turned back on hours later. Dirty water comes through the pipes throughout many areas for a day or more after the storm and it isn’t potable, drinkable water.
Yet those of us on water meters have to pay for this contaminated water coming into our homes.
I think that an adjustment is in order.
isn’t the water source for the village of bioche the same waterfall that is encouraged as a destination tourist site? whats is called? syndicate falls?