BY DICKENS WASONGA KISUMU BASED JOURNALIST.

CHOLERA whose outbrake has been sporadic in various parts of Nyanza province now proves to be a hard nut for the ministry of health to crack.

The deadly disease has since November last year claimed over 40 people from the region and left several others admitted to various health facilities across the province.

Most residents of this province now feel that it is time the ministry, especially the public health division owned up and admitted that it has been overwhelmed by the cholera problem in this region.

Even as new cases continue to be reported ,the official position of the government remains that the disease which hit and kills its victims very fast has been contained.

Every time the disease out-brake is reported in the area, ministry officials have been quick to blame victims of failing to seek immediate medical attention from the existing health centers.

During press briefings, the officials have always told jounalists that the deaths occurred at home or somewhere before reaching hospitals.

While it is true that there has been an influx of health centers and dispensaries as a result of the CDF, it must be understood that many of these facilities lack personel to handle patients who come to seek services.

It means that almost all serious and urgent cases must be refered to the district hospitals many of whom are far away and in most cases in- accessible by the would-be victims from the villages.

The hardest hit district includes Bondo, Siaya, Suba and Kisumu.Others are Nyando, Rongo, Homa-bay and Migori.

The out-brakes seem to follow a similar pattern and each time a new case is reported ,the same districts are affected.

The ministry has in the past acted by first slapping a ban on hawking of food in urban centers and eating at funerals in a bid to control further spread.

The same has been done this time around only that it has also been largely ignored or pooorly enforced by the public health officers.

Cholera ,like many water-born diseases has been fueled by poor hygeinic practises like eating poorly cooked foods, lack of proper waste management systems ,to name just but a few.

A spot check in a number of urban centres within this region revealed the ban was not being enforced effectively.

While many eateries were targeted by the ministry’s ban, many did not seem to be affected at all especially in Kisumu even though it was evident that they did not meet the public health requirements.

Some bars and entertainment joints visited were still carrying out their business as usual without even clean toilets.

An official from the PMOs office who wished not to be named said they were finding it difficult to enforce the ban for fear of their safety. Many who operate the joints were well connected people who could descipline whoever dares rub them the wrong way.

The PMO Dr. Joseph Kioki however reassured the locals that they had contained the disease.

He said a team of medical personnel from his office and those from the district were working round the clock to deal with the deadly cholera.

He was also meeting daily with the team to review the progress made so far and laying new strategies to combat the disease.

For the residents, hope is the only thing they now cling on and whether they will live to see another day brake is hard to tell.

ENDS.

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Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:21:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dickens Wasonga
Subject: CHOLERA REMAINS A THORNY ISSUE IN NYANZA PROVINCE.