WINDHOEK– The cholera outbreak in the Kunene Region has claimed another life, making it a total of eight lives lost in less than two weeks while more patients have been admitted to the Opuwo State Hospital. The number of suspected cholera cases treated in the Kunene Region now stands at 276 as of yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Social Services said yesterday. By November last year 89 patients were treated for the disease.
“We have reported that the deaths were seven, but someone passed away again this week and it rose to eight. We had confirmed five cases by January 5th from the laboratory and to date we have seven cases. So in total it stands at 12 confirmed cholera cases,” a statement from the Ministry of Health and Social Services said.
However, the ministry revealed that many patients have since Wednesday been discharged. “By Wednesday we reported that there were 56 admitted patients, others have since been discharged and we only have 38 patients at Opuwo District Hospital. The capacity of the hospital in terms of admission is 80, but we have 111 patients all together,” the statement explained.
The ministry has since yesterday erected six tents at the hospital where suspected cholera patients will be kept in isolation. “We will be moving all admitted suspected cholera patients to these tents. They will have facilities such as showers, toilets, running water and electricity,” the statement said.
The ministry said the hospital has adequate medicine to deal with the outbreak and a team of six health officials has been dispatched in the region conducting surveillance, public education and referral of community members. They are also distributing oral rehydration therapy, water purification tablets and water containers.
Officials from Red Cross Namibia and the World Health Organisation have joined forces with health ministry care workers in fighting the outbreak in the region by giving the ministry resources and capacity building.
Moreover, a helicopter is to be dispatched to the region today to assist teams to access areas where vehicles cannot go, since Kunene Region is mainly mountainous and most of its semi-nomadic population live in isolated places.
By Albertina Nakale