Cholera outbreak claims 2 in Jigawa

From Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse

No fewer than 2 children have lost their lives and 56 other people hospitalised due to a suspected cholera outbreak in the state.

The outbreak is reported at areas of Danmasara, Kazama and at Takur site, which is a government estate in Dutse, Jigawa state capital.

Reports prom the state indicated that several people were hospitalised at Dutse general hospital and police clinic in the state.

The two people that have lost their lives as a result of the cholera were all within the same one family while some other members of the family and many others from their neighbourhood were on admission in the three hospitals in the city.

Findings by Peoples Daily in the state indicated that the epidemic started rearing its ugly head in the estate since the weekend and ever since, the situation appears to be worsening.

When contacted, the state commissioner for health, Dr. Tafida Abubakar confirmed the outbreak, stating that “there are about 56 cases of the victims that had been recorded in Dutse General Hospital and the Police clinic”.

“As you know, the estate is dominated by civil servants; but unfortunately, the hygienic situation is disappointing; the place is very dirty”, the health commissioner stated.

According to him, “From June to date, the record available in the ministry indicated that 36, 000 cases were recorded across the state and most of them were as a result of poor hygienic condition of their environment”.

Dr. Tafida Abubakar declined to stress on government efforts to curtail the situation, “I was in the area this morning, the place is too dirty, but we met with the sole administrator of the state’s environmental and protection agency for the immediate cleaning of the estate”.

He added that “all the victims were in the hospital, we have overcome the situation as you know we have three hospitals in the city”.