Cholera Outbreak Kills Eight in Lamu

by Mike Mwaniki and Galgalo Bocha
Nairobi, Nov 11, 2009 (The Nation/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --

Eight people have been confirmed dead after a cholera outbreak in several parts of Lamu island.

Kenya Red Cross Society and health officials on Wednesday said three children, two women and three men had died of the disease caused by water contamination.

Twenty eight people are being treated King Fahad district hospital.

"We are working round the clock to contain the disease," said Dr Bijuma Mitwan, the district medical officer of health. The disease has affected mostly wananchi in Mkomani, Langoni, Kandahar and Kijitoni suburbs.

Since the outbreak was reported last week, social gatherings such as weddings and funerals have been banned.

And at the district hospital, the routine visiting hours during which relatives and friends visit patients have been scrapped, sparking protests from wananchi.

Public health officers have banned the sale of bread, roast meat and drinks on the island streets.

"We have scrapped the usually culture where patients are visiting because we don't want them to carry the disease to the community," said Dr Mitwan.

According to him, the government had provided sufficient drugs to the hospital but he welcomed external assistance.

The Kenya Red Cross regional co-ordinator said that volunteers had been mobilised to educate the public on the importance of personal and environmental hygiene.

The volunteers had also distributed drugs besides chlorinating contaminated wells as part of a joint campaign to stop the spread of the disease.

Still on health, the Government plans to phase out private wards in all provincial and district hospitals countrywide.

The decision has been taken following improvement of services in the wards of the health facilities, a senior Ministry of Medical Services official who sought anonymity revealed on Wednesday.

However, Kenyatta National Hospital chief executive Jotham Micheni said the institution plans to improve the services provided by amenity wards which earn Sh500 million annually.

"We want services provided by our amenity wards to be at par with those offered by private hospitals to enable us attract more clientele," Dr Micheni told the Nation.

At the same time, the doctor urged people to register with the National Hospital Insurance Fund to enable them access quality health care services at affordable cost.

"KNH boasts of a team of highly trained doctors and together with the specialised equipment that we have installed, we shall be able to provide quality services to those who require them," he said.