K25,000 for cholera fight

National, Normal
Source:

The National- Monday, January 17, 2011

 By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

MADANG provincial disaster committee last Thursday approved K25,000 from its trust account, to assist health authorities contain the outbreak of cholera at Karamukei, Usino-Bundi district, Madang.

The timely assistance would enable a team of five from Walium and Bundi health centres to be flown by a helicopter to the impacted site to set up a cholera treatment unit.

Acting director for health Paul Mabong said as of last Tuesday, three more people have been reported dead, bringing the total number of cholera victims to six.

He was, however, unable to disclose any update on how many people were infected and how far the disease had spread due to difficulties in communication.

“With the team which comprise clinicians, surveillance officer and a spray-man on patrol to the area, we will soon know the status of the current situation but we have confirmed that six people have died,” Mabong said.

At Bogia, the fresh outbreak of cholera which infected 27 people from Boroi area had been contained but Bogia health authorities were calling on provincial health to immediately send in fresh supply of drugs.

Mabong said since reports of the outbreak, the province’s medical store was not able to dispatch fresh supply of drugs to Madang’s 45 health centres and 207 aid posts including Bogia health centre.