Reports on outbreak yet to be submitted: Official

By PISAI GUMAR
HEALTH officials in Morobe are monitoring the reported malaria outbreak in Garaina, Bulolo, and are awaiting the report of two officers sent there this week.
Provincial health disease control and surveillance officer Edwin Benny said they were awaiting the report from health workers Tobias Werip and Elijah Steven who were sent to Bia-Waria.
Benny said after assessing the report and data collated during diagnosis and treatment, they would decide on the next course of action.
The outbreak forced the Bia-Waria Primary School and its elementary school to suspend classes indefinitely. Four teachers and 25 of the 110 students were affected by malaria. Two of the teachers may also have dysentery.
Werip and Steven during their five days of assessment confirmed the malaria outbreak, plus two dysentery cases, diarrhoea and ulcers. There were 647 patients diagnosed in Onepa, Surupia, Saga-Tari, Mukeri, Bakeri Pureno, Onakara and Asama villages.
From the 305 blood samples tested, 192 patients were confirmed to have malaria.
Steven said they had completed the report and would submit it to Benny tomorrow. He said Benny would then assess it and decide what action to be taken next.