Cholera outbreak: Seven patients receiving treatment at Naguru hospital

The Ministry of Health has indicated that it has not registered any new cholera case in Kampala apart from the seven cases currently receiving treatment at Naguru hospital.

According to Dr Henry Mwebesa, the acting director general health services in the Ministry of Health, three patients are from neighboring Mpigi district while the other four are from Karelwe, a Kampala suburb.

“We have seven patients since Friday. We have not received any other cholera case,” Dr Mwebasa said, adding that the seven are currently receiving treatment.

“We have also not yet registered any death and all the patients are responding well to treatment. The medicines were supplied by the National Medical Stores,” he added.

He said that due to the rainy season, the public should be conscious of their hygiene.

“People should wash hands before eating and also every after visiting the toilet. Drink boiled water and also eat well cooked food,” he cautioned.

He said the three patients from Mpigi are from one family and the other four are from two different families in Karelwe.

With the outbreak in Kampala, Dr Mwebesa said that a big isolation centre is going to be established at Mulago to handle any new cases that might arise.
“We currently have a small temporary isolation centre at Naguru but we are going to establish a bigger one at Mulago,” he said.

The outbreak in Kampala was confirmed by the State Minister of Health for General Duties, Ms Sarah Opendi on Friday.

Meanwhile, a cholera outbreak in Amudat District in Karamoja sub region, north eastern Uganda has so far claimed two lives while 48 are currently receiving treatment at Amudat health center IV.

According to the World Health Organisation, cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera and with roughly 1.3m to 4m cases every year. It kills about 143,000 people worldwide.

The signs and symptoms of cholera include pain in abdomen, severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration among others. The disease can kill a patient within one day if not rehydrated.

Measures
The minister said a team from the Ministry of Health has already been dispatched to the area to work with village health teams to sensitise residents.

Vaccination
Ms Opendi said the government has secured a cholera vaccine that is already being administered to children aged one year and above in Hoima and Kyegegwa districts.

Recently, cholera broke out in refugee settlement camps of Kyangwali in Hoima District and Kyaka II in Kyegegwa District.

Dozens of people, most of them Congolese refugees, died and hundreds others were treated in the camps.

eainebyoona@ug,nationmedia.com