Cholera cases soar in Central

PAPA village in Central’s West Hiri district is beginning to record a high number of suspected cholera cases, according to Central health authorities.
Hiri district health coordinator, Michael Masket said yesterday when arriving back from the affected area that eight patients from Papa in severe conditions were admitted to the cholera treatment centre (CTC) at the Papa clinic while only three came from Lealea.
He said the situation was getting worse with people coming to the CTC in severe conditions.
“It’s not over yet, when it (cholera) comes, it spreads fast. Everyday the CTC is seeing five to six severe cases cases,” Masket said.
Another problem that Masket pointed out was the capacity to house the patients.
 He said the Papa CTC had only six beds to accommodate patients in severe conditions hence those needing urgent treatment had to be transported by the villagers themselves to the CTC at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
He said that they were continuing basic awareness and had filled up water tanks at the oral re-hydration solution centres in Papa and Lealea.
Masket is now planning to bring in a non governmental organisation to assist by doing a house to house awareness on cholera and basic hygiene.
He said this would be more effective and believed the villagers would listen to other people from elsewhere because they (Central health) had done the same thing but their efforts had gone in vain.
Meanwhile in NCD, only five people were admitted to the CTC at the PMGH on Wednesday, three from Central and two from the 8-Mile area.
NCD cholera task force leader, Dr Timothy Pyakalyia said suspected cases were reported all over the city.