By GABRIEL FITO
AT least one child has died and two others are fighting for their lives at a very isolated Wauru aid post in Yapsie, Telefomin district, following an outbreak of whooping cough in the area.
Sandaun provincial health adviser Desek Drorit said yesterday that 40 others, who have contracted the disease, had also been held within the vicinity of the aid post undergoing treatment.
Mr Drorit said cases of diarrhoea had also increased to over 60 but no deaths have been reported.
He said the two officers at Yapsie health centre had been moved to Wauru to attend to these cases.
The health centre is now left without a health worker.
Mr Drorit said the entire Yapsie population was also starving as more than 800 food gardens had been washed away by recent floods.
More than 2,000 people from the Yapsie area were affected by three weeks of continuous rain and flood in the area early last month.
Sources from the Sandaun provincial administration have reported that people were still waiting for relief supplies including food rations and medical supplies for almost a month now as they were no funds to help the displaced villagers.
The provincial health office in Vanimo managed to send some medical supplies to treat the diarrhoea cases last Thursday.
More supplies, including treatment for whooping cough, were still at Vanimo.
Mr Drorit said his office was negotiating with a third level airline company to airlift medical supplies to Yapsie tomorrow.