Cholera: More deaths recorded in Kano as govt officials keep mum

MORE deaths have been reported from cholera outbreak in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State, as government officials kept mum on the situation.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who was at Gwarzo General Hospital on Monday reports that some of the cholera patients on admission were lying on the floor due to over congestion in the wards.

A brother to a patient on admission, Inuwa Ashiru, said: “Journalists have been coming to the hospital to assess the situation since last week and the reports were not favourable to the government.

“I came here with a patient, a 15-year-old boy and within these four days no fewer than 20 people lost their lives while about 350 others were admitted even though some of them have already been discharged.”

He said that the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Getso had visited the hospital on Sunday and brought drugs, 75 beds and mattresses.

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NAN, however, observed that in spite of the effort, many patients are still lying on the floor due to inadequate bed spaces.

The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Mudi Sulaiman confirmed that the state government had provided all the drugs and medical equipment for the treatment of the patients on admission in the facility.

“I want to confirm to you that the state government has provided all that is required for the treatment of the patients,” he said in a phone interview but was unable to give the number of patients treated and those still on admission.

NAN recalls that the Chairman of Gwarzo local council, Alhaji Bashir Kutama had earlier denied the outbreak.

Similar efforts to contact the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Getso also proved abortive as he refused to take several phone calls and text message, to get his reaction to the situation.

The cholera outbreak largely affected residents of Lakwaya, Kofar Arewa, Kofar Yamma, Abuja Kwatas, Gwarzo Bare-bari and Unguwar Tsauni in Gwarzo local government.

The outbreak followed similar one in Bebeji local government area of the state during which 11 people lost their lives in three villages.