From: Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The number of people who have lost their lives to the recent cholera outbreak in Bauchi State has risen to 37.
It could be recalled that the immediate past Commissioner for Health in the State, Dr Aliyu Maigoro, had on 25th May, 2021, announced the outbreak, with a 37-year-old housewife who reported with the disease at the Burra General Hospital on 24th April, 2021.
Maigoro disclosed then that 20 people had died from the disease, while 322 people affected were being managed.Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHDA) has said that the deadly disease has now spread to six more local government areas from the initial nine, making it 15 local government areas of the State.
In data made available to newsmen in Bauchi by the Executive Chairman of the Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed Monday, the BSPHDA disclosed that 1,799 cholera cases were recorded between 25th May, 2021 when the outbreak was announced and now.
According to the data by the Agency, Alkaleri; Bauchi; Darazo; Dass; Ganjuwa and Giade were local government areas with reported cases of cholera in the State.
Other affected LGAs, according to BSPHDA, are Jama’are; Kirfi; Misau, Ningi; Shira; Tafawa Balewa; Toro; Warji and Zaki.
In a telephone interview with newsmen,
the Executive Chairman of the Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed Monday,said the state government in collaboration with some international donor agencies have embarked on the construction of a 100- bed capacity Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC)at the State Specialist Hospital to take care of the victims.
Dr.Mohammed also explained that the government has directed that the treatment of the victims should be done freely in order to augment the economic hardship facing the people saying that all the required drug’s for the treatment have been made available.
He however appealed to the residents of the state to imbibe the culture of cleanliness by maintaining a clean environment,always. END
