Health staff join hands in the war on cholera
What you need to know:
- This comes even as Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua leads the county assembly in carrying out the massive Clean Up Nakuru Campaign that has seen food kiosks around town destroyed in a quest to restore Nakuru to its former glory as Africa’s cleanest town.
- As cholera spreads, there are raging internal feuds between county appointed health managers and public health officials inherited from the national government which has created two centres of power.
Health officials have said there is no bad blood between Public Health Department officers and those from the county medical team in the wake of a cholera outbreak.
County public health officer Samuel King’ori said all plans to combat cholera were jointly held, with the county government providing vehicles and finances to help tackle the runaway scourge that has claimed 12 lives.
While successful treatments have been done, 85 people have been diagnosed with cholera. There are 32 cholera-patients isolated at Nakuru General Hospital and Langa Langa, Kwa Rhonda, Kiti and Bahati health centres.
This comes even as Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua leads the county assembly in carrying out the massive Clean Up Nakuru Campaign that has seen food kiosks around town destroyed in a quest to restore Nakuru to its former glory as Africa’s cleanest town.
Mr King’ori said some of the cholera cases were of people returning to Nakuru after the April holidays. One is from Mombasa and another from Migori, he said.
“We have realised that Nakuru is a high risk zone due to its central location. Travellers from other counties pass through Nakuru. They have relatives here and they make a stop-over before proceeding with their journey. We urge our colleagues from other counties to stem the scourge,” he said.
Cholera is associated with dirt and the runaway scourge has hit areas without piped and clean water and a reliable sewerage disposal service.
Leaders remain mute despite the heavy toll across the town’s estates, with new cases of cholera reported daily.
Mr King’ori also disclosed that hardest hit are men who eat and drink illicit brews in dingy chang’aa dens.
As cholera spreads, there are raging internal feuds between county appointed health managers and public health officials inherited from the national government which has created two centres of power.
At the same time, leaders are ashamed to address the cholera epidemic because of its link to unhygienic conditions.
Mr King’ori said inter-county cooperation was required to ensure cholera is wiped out.
