Cholera kills 76 persons in Ebonyi

Cholera outbreak has killed 76 persons in 11 out of the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State, says the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike. He said that the disease, which affected 38 communities in the state, claimed the people within five months. According to him, the disease is worse during the dry seasons. On the recurrance of the disease, the commissioner narrated his experience: “Upon my assumption of office as Commissioner for Health, I was welcomed with the outbreak of cholera, which actually started in February, 2015…we were able to control the five months old epidemic within two weeks. As we talk, there is no more case of cholera outbreak in Ebonyi State”. The commissioner, who spoke in his office, explained: “With the help and logistics support of the state Governor, Chief David Umahi, we were able to control the five months old epidemic within two weeks. Prior to our intervention, the deadly disease killed over 76 people, affected 38 communities and 11 out of 13 councils of Ebonyi State and used to recur on regular basis especially during the dry seasons”. The commissioner however dismissed rumours of another outbreak of guinea worm in the state, stressing that the ministry quickly mobilized its response and surveillance teams to all the sites that the rumours emanated from, which none of those cases were confirmed guinea worm. “We also collected samples from the ponds and cyclops isolated, preserved and sent for DNA analysis, so there is no confirmed case of guinea worm anywhere in Ebonyi State”. Umezuruike said that the virology centre approved for construction by the state governor has gotten to 95 percent completion while all the equipment for the centre had been paid for and would arrive the state this week. “As I address you, the Virology Centre is almost completed and all equipment for the take-off of the centre has been procured. The prevalence rate has drastically reduced as they are minimal cases and we promise Ebonyi people that the government would continue to put in professional competence to ensure that it is totally eradicated”. The commissioner also stated that the state governor approved and gave the ministry the mandate to complete and upgrade the renovation and reconstruction of the 13 general hospitals starting with 6, 2 per senatorial zone not minding the drastic reduction in the monthly Federal allocation to the state. He said that the ministry has also been mandated to upgrade 171 primary health centres starting with 65, 5 per LGA and to also ensure the construction of the State Drug Distribution Centre, which he said would soon kick-off immediately some of the lacuna created by contract issue are cleared. According to Umezuruike, the governor released funds for procurement of Cerumo Cell Harvester machine worth N10 million and which was donated to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki for the separation of blood into different components.