PRC volunteers and staff set up the beds near the PGH Temporary Emergency Room. #PRC #RedCross #lambanogpoisoning

DoH Sec. Francisco Duque III visits one of the poisoning victims at the PGH. (DoH)

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has sent 20 cot beds with intravenous stands for lambanog poisoning patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

PRC volunteers and staff set up the beds near the PGH Temporary Emergency Room as PRC Chairman Sen. Richard Gordon responded to PGH Medical Director, Dr. Gerardo Legaspi’s request for the beds following the influx of lambanog poisoning-related patients to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Gordon said someone should be held accountable to the lambanog poisoning that also caused deaths.

“We have a Product Liability Act where the owner will be accountable for the harm caused by his product. Dito sa insidenteng ito na maraming nahilo, nagsuka at nalason sa nainom nilang lambanog, dapat lamang na may managot. Homicide na ito dahil may mga namatay at hindi ito aksidente. Dapat may makulong dyan,” Gordon said.

Lambanog is a popular native alcoholic drink in the country. According to t

The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines (FDA) has found elevated amounts of methanol in the lambanog the victims drank.

Methanol is the simplest type of alcohol. It is also known as wood alcohol and methyl alcohol, mostly used to create fuel and solvent which is unfit for human consumption. The human body can only tolerate 0.5 percent of methanol, which can cause blindness, permanent neurologic dysfunction, and even death, according to the FDA.

PRC continues to monitor and is ready to provide further assistance like additional medical tents in case the need arises. It has been providing the same support to different hospitals during dengue, measles, and polio outbreak in the country.