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Rumphi DC appeals for help to contain cholera

Rumphi district commissioner (DC) Emmanuel Bulukutu has appealed for support from partners to help the district contain the spread of cholera.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that as of Saturday, the district had registered 155 cholera cases and five deaths.

Speaking in an interview on Friday, Bulukutu said  partners such as Unicef have assisted with tents and other supplies, but there was still a huge gap in medical supplies and healthcare workers to fight the outbreak.

A health at a treatment centre in Rumphi District

“Currently, we do not have enough beds to accommodate the number of patients which is increasing by day. We also need intravenous and oral fluids,” he said.

The DC also appealed for logistical support in the form of fuel for the response team.

He said they have intensified community awareness campaigns and  urged people to use water treated with chlorine and practise personal hygiene.

Bulukutu has since requested the Northern Region Water Board to supply water in the affected areas, especially those along the Rukuru River which is mostly used as a source of water for domestic use.

Rumphi District Health Office spokesperson Bwanaloli Mwamlima said there is a shortage of health workers to handle the situation.

In random interviews, residents acknowledge the threat posed by the outbreak and pledged to comply with preventive measures.

Jailos Harawa, a trader at Rumphi Boma, said he encourages his peers to adhere to standards to contain the outbreak.

“I ask people selling ready foods to observe cleanliness,” he said.

As of Saturday, the country had registered 2 387 cholera cases and 84 deaths. So far, Nkhata Bay District has registered 606 cholera cases with 17 deaths, followed by Blantyre with 546 cases with 21 deaths.

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