Abau cholera reports checked

 By ELIZABETH MIAE

CENTRAL health officers have gone into Moreguina and Baraumata villages in the Abau district to collect stool samples from patients who are suspected to have cholera.

The officers have gone into those villages after receiving reports of patients reporting cholera-like symptoms at the nearest health centres.

While in the area, they will also be conducting awareness and training for health workers and other volunteers in treating cholera patients.

Abau district health coordinator Etene Boyama reported on Wednesday that Kelerakwa, one of the lagoon villages near Kupiano station, had also reported a few cases.

She said the village was not affected during the outbreak last June and July but started reporting cases since last November up until this month.

She said the outbreak in Wanigela had been contained with only a few patients going for treatment at the cholera treatment centre at Kupiano, adding that most the patients were from the Wanigela settlement in Port Moresby who had gone down for holidays.

At the time when The National spoke to her, there were only two patients at the centre who were treated and were ready to be discharged.

The oral rehydration solution (ORS) points in Wanigela and Waiori villages were closed due to shortage of funding, however, more of the solution had been supplied to the two villages after another outbreak last month.

 “We are telling people that cholera is here to stay and they have to be conscious of their hygiene,” she said.

Boyama said cholera had changed the lives of people who were affected.

She commended local MP Sir Puka Temu for his support to help prevent the spread and further deaths.