Posted by By Osaro Okhomina on
SIXTY persons, including a clan head, the Adolor of Luleha, were yesterday feared dead and 300 others hospitalised following an outbreak of cholera epidemic in Luleha-Uzebba and surrounding communities in Owan West Local Government area of Edo State.
SIXTY persons, including a clan head, the Adolor of Luleha, were yesterday feared dead and 300 others hospitalised following an outbreak of cholera epidemic in Luleha-Uzebba and surrounding communities in Owan West Local Government area of Edo State.
Already, residents of the affected areas of Uzebba, Okuje and Okagbon have started moving out of the communities in their hundreds raising fear that such mass movement into the state capital may cause a spread of the epidemic.
Just as the Edo State government responded by directing that the leadership of Owan West local government council should liaise with the state ministry on ways to curb the spread and the deployment of 20 medical experts from the state capital to assist in the management of the Uzebba and Saboginda Ora general hospitals in the control and treatment of the disease.
Vanguard gathered that the cholera outbreak, which was first noticed last week, worsened when victims failed to visit recognized hospitals and their continued consumption of 'pure water' suspected not to be certified by NAFDAC.
It was gathered that the initial death recorded was four, but more deaths were later reported in Uzebba, Okpuje and Okagon yesterday; while 28 deaths, including the clan head of Luleha, Chief Ode Atalagbe, were recorded in Uzebba, the communities of Okpuje and Okagbon recorded about 34 deaths.
Health ministry sources told Vanguard yesterday that the situation could get worse, if the movement of people from Uzebba into the state capital on account of getting better treatment is not checked. The source said "when we got there yesterday, we met a situation where the people of these communities were reportedly dying from cholera. Some of the dead ones were deposited at the general hospitals. We also saw those on admission at these hospitals. But the most dangerous aspect of it all is the mass movement of the people into Benin City and neighbouring communities. We want them to be patient as we are on it"
The State Government, however, in its response yesterday announced the composition of a 20-member medical team to liaise with the local medical officials at the Uzebba and Sabogida General Hospital on ways to control and treat the epidemic.