Tana River, KENYA: Approximately 80 people are recuperating from cholera at Madogo health center in Tana North sub-county, Tana River county.
Speaking to Baraka FM at the Madogo cholera treatment unit, county executive for health and sanitation Ms. Mwanajuma Mabuke said already four villages had been affected.
“We have 78 cases in the CTUs that we are working on them right now, and all have emerged from the four villages that we already identified,” said the CEC.
The villages affected are Bulakodha, Bulakaratasi, Bulavango and Madogo C, where their residents are suspected to have consumed contaminated water from a stagnant water source ( lagga).
Ms. Mwanajuma said that the increased cases from was due to a shortage of prophylactic drugs in the hospitals, which would be supplied to various health centres and CTU’s as fast as possible.
“We have experienced this increase because we did not have the necessary drugs, but we have procured a consignment of drugs that should be here latest tomorrow, “she said.
She also said that the County government had already made available a water boozer for the people of Madogo to curb the water scarcity in the area, following the destruction of water supply pumps that were submerged during the floods.
Ms. Hiribae said plans to revive the pumps at the Madogo Water Services were ongoing, and water services would resume as normal.
However, residents faulted the county government for the slow response to the emergency. Abdi Loka a resident of Bura said the neighboring County Garissa responded to their plight faster than the mother County.
“The response from the County has taken long, medical officers from Garissa came to our rescue but could not do much since it’s not their area of jurisdiction,” he said.
Mr. Loka requested the county government to act fast on the water truck that had stalled due to lack of a battery.
