Cholera kills 59 in Bauchi

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

Fifty nine persons have been confirmed killed, in a fresh outbreak of cholera in Bauchi state.

The state’s Commissioner of health, Dr. Sani Malami, who briefed newsmen on the update of the disease yesterday, during a press conference at the Government House in Bauchi said the 54 persons died at their homes while 5 died at the treatment camps in the state.

According Dr. Malami, the cholera outbreak was triggered by massive movements by people from neighbouring states into Bauchi as result of insecurity challenges and flood.

He said,“ The state recorded a high casualty figure because some of the victims were treating themselves at home while the deaths recorded in the treatment camps across the state was low because the victims accessed medical attention early enough”.

Dr. Sani Malami disclosed that the state government was able to curtail the spread of the epidemic by establishing treatment camps, chlorinating over 60 wells and dispatching medical teams who went to house to house search in 2,000 houses.

The commissioner said, “The state government has increased access of health-care centres in the state to forestall the spread of the disease and has also partnered with international bodies to set up camps at the Teaching Hospitals across the state”.