Cholera kills 25 in Bayelsa as state records over 300 cases

By JULIUS OSAHON, Yenagoa

No fewer than 25 persons have reportedly died from cholera outbreak in 30 communities in Bayelsa State, with over 300 cases reported across the state.

Although the actual death toll was still unknown yesterday, sources from the Ministry of Health confirmed that over 25 persons had died after the 19 victims released by Commissioner for Health, Dr. Newton Igwele on Tuesday.

A statement signed by Igwele in Yenagoa revealed that Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been established in the councils to ensure active surveillance and response to any case of acute gastroenteritis or suspected cholera.

While Governor Douye Diri had purchased Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) to contain the spread of the decease, he explained that the state, in partnership with the WHO, had also sent vaccines to council headquarters and healthcare facilities to manage the outbreak of cholera.

“Communities reporting cases of cholera have had commodities for containment of the outbreak distributed to them and this is still ongoing, as we receive more reports and increase search on active cases,” he stated.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to tackle the health challenges, the state government had declared its readiness to develop a 10-year road map to improve healthcare systems performance through strategic planning and stakeholders engagement.

However, the state Ministry of Health has perfected plans to host health experts from the United Nation agencies, donors, development partners and private sector to a three-day health summit in Yenagoa.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, will be the guest of honour, while President, Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, will be keynote speaker.

Igwele, who disclosed this in Yenagoa at a pre-event briefing, said the summit was aimed at achieving universal health coverage through strengthened primary healthcare and financing through expanding the health insurance system.

Chairman of the planning committee and Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Prof. Dimie Ogoina, said the summit would help to develop a road map that would serve as a working document.

He said medical experts and other relevant agencies would discuss core issues on improving the healthcare system in the three-day programme scheduled for April 19 and 21, 2021. (The Guardian)