KISUMU, Kenya, Apr 19 – The Kisumu County Government has attributed the outbreak of cholera in the lakeside city to the ongoing rains that flood pit latrines in the slums as two lives claimed so far to the disease.
The county executive committee member for health Dr Gregory Ganda has confirmed the deaths that have happened with the first one recorded last month and the second this week.
Ganda says already there are 52 suspected cases of cholera and a number were treated and discharged while others are still admitted.
“Out of the suspected cases, we identified 7 patients of cholera, we have discharged two but three are still admitted” he said.
He says the cases are rampant in Nyalenda A and Nyalenda B in Kisumu East and Kisumu Central sub counties respectively.
“These are slum areas and we have a number of pit latrines, which overflow during this rainy season,” he said.
Ganda noted that the overflow of these latrines exposes the locals to cholera as he asked the residents to watch out on hygiene to avert the further spread of the disease.
“Let us wash our hands and drink boiled or treated water, because we have realized that once these toilets collapse and overflow, they contaminate water sources for the residents,” he said.
He says the county has activated the emergency operation centers to deal with cholera cases and are already partnering with partners in the health service.
“We have set up isolation centers in Nyalenda and at Kotunga health center, plus Gita in Kisumu East and they will be used to deal with cholera cases,” he said.
Ganda asked the residents to report to the hospital if they experience continuous watery diarrhea, noting that failure will lead to renal collapse that might lead to death.
“The public must take charge of their health, and let them report to the hospital immediately if they experience cholera symptoms,” he said.
Speaking to a local media house in Kisumu on Wednesday, Ganda said the county is on top of the pandemic and assured residents of prompt measures to deal with the disease.
He further warned locals to be worried of eating at and attending funerals noting that such places are sources of spreading the disease.
He announced that public health officers are currently conducting inspections across the two sub counties to deal with errant citizens who are flouting rules deemed to be endangering the lives of the locals.
Ganda says the disease is just within the two sub counties noting that none of the cases has been recorded in the remaining five sub counties.
“We have cholera cases in 18 counties in the country and we must be prepared as a country to deal even with cases from outside,” he said.
He further announced that they have developed a communication strategy to help in disseminating information to the residents on cholere disease.
