People urged to follow basic hygiene

VILLAGES situated along the Sikau Range of Yangoru, East Sepik, have been urged by health workers in the district to strictly observe basic hygiene practices following the report of cholera in the district.
Health workers, who quickly moved into the villages after the reports of the first case, urged people to use proper toilets, to dispose their rubbish properly, wash hands before meals and after using the toilet and keep away all rubbish from their homes.
Wewak General Hospital last Thursday revealed that a patient from Sima village, suspected of contracting the cholera virus, was admitted at the
hospital, treated and
later released.
The National  discovered that villages located near Hambeli River have stopped using the river that runs from Sima village on the foot of Mt Turu due to fear of contracting the virus from the river.
A number of people from Kwarabri village said they had stopped using the river for cooking, washing and drinking since last week when they heard that a person living further upstream was admitted to the hospital.
However, people from Sima are confused over reports of the virus in the village which was
supported by health teams that went into the area
last week to conduct awareness.