A SERIES of health problems has affected swimmers at Clearwater Beach, raising concerns that the public park might be unsafe for use.

The Ministry of Health yesterday said it was unaware of any concerns and that nothing had been detected during regular tests for bacteria, chemical contaminants or garbage pollutants.

However a doctor who spoke with the Mid-Ocean News said he had treated a handful of people for maladies which arose after swimming there.

The physician said he had "no idea whatsoever" whether the water at the St. David's beach was healthy for swimmers but admitted the numbers of those with concerns were sufficient to raise questions.

"As far as I know there isn't a problem with the water but it has come up three or four times," he stated. "I basically have been asking where people are swimming, making note. If I saw more with problems after swimming there, I would then think that perhaps there was a problem.

"I don't know Clearwater very well. I hear it's near where they dump stuff. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. But what I will say is I don't know how many beaches we've got - I've not heard of people having problems from swimming at Horseshoe Bay."

This newspaper contacted the doctor on discovering that two children experienced health problems after swimming at Clearwater earlier this week. A nine-year-old girl required medical care after her eyes swelled to resemble those of "a gecko". Her ten-year-old cousin was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) for treatment. The reactions occurred within hours of their visit to the beach.

"They'd both gone to Clearwater for a school picnic and that evening she started complaining that her eyes were hurting," the mother explained. "She kept complaining that they were itching and really painful."

The event had an even greater effect on her male cousin, who was suffering from allergies before the swim.

"He ended up at the hospital because he had a severe allergic reaction," the woman explained. "By Monday night his whole face was swollen, his lips and everything."

The woman, who asked not to be named in this article, said she gave her daughter some Benadryl pills she keeps on hand for times when minor allergies flare up.

"I thought it could be the same as what sometimes happens to me, just an allergic reaction to something," she explained. "But she was crying throughout the night. The next morning it looked like she'd been punched. Her eyes were like a gecko's - big, bug eyes."

By then the woman realised the condition was more serious than she originally thought. Thinking her daughter might be suffering from pinkeye, or conjunctivitis, she took her to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

"I don't usually take them to Clearwater because they can swim (in the ocean) at home - and they do, every day.

"So it couldn't have been a reaction to the sea. They didn't eat anything different or do anything different.

"The doctor took urine samples and examined her thoroughly but still couldn't really find anything. He said he wasn't sure what caused it but he asked where she'd been swimming and when I said Clearwater, he seemed (quite interested)."

Five days on, the girl is on her way to a complete recovery however her mother remains concerned that the water might have been the cause of the mysterious illness.

"If you didn't know her before you would think she looks normal although her eyes are still a bit puffy."

The doctor said he seen "about three or four people" this year because of swimming-related problems.

"It's interesting that the common factor is Clearwater," he said.

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"There's not enough evidence to say that Clearwater has a problem. A couple of the kids I saw had rashes. Swimmer's ear, an infection of the skin in the ear canal, is common - people who use Q-tips or swim a lot in pools also have that problem. It's probably the number one diagnosis of people who walk into doctor's offices in the summer.

"I have no idea whatsoever what's in the water. I have no idea whether there's a problem or not. And so I've been making a mental note that if I saw more I would mention it to the health inspector. What's happening at Clearwater has been a coincidence so far but if there are more cases of people having a problem it might be that it's more than a coincidence."

The Health Ministry invited the doctor to share his concerns and insisted precautions would be taken to ensure the beach was safe for public use.

"The Ministry of Health says it has had no reports regarding allergic reactions and nothing has been detected through regular water smpling for bacterial parameters Ecoli and Enterococci," said a Government spokesperson. "The old US capped dumpsite and water were tested for chemical contaminants and the water was satisfactory. The likelihood of a garbage problem is also extremely remote. We would invite the physician to make contact with the Chief Environmental Health Officer David Kendell to advise of any concerns or to provide any specific details."

The spokesperson added that a site visit would be made to the beach yesterday afternoon, with further samples of the water collected and examined Monday.