Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz
Cholera has claimed three lives in Kilbawo, southern part of Adamawa state, even as 13 others have been reportedly hospitalised in Jada local government area.
The member, representing Jada-Mbulo constituency in the House of Assembly, Hon. Hamman Tukur Yettisumi, disclosed this in Yola.
Consequently, the House of Assembly has passed a resolution mandating the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to immediately move in to curtail the spread of the disease to other communities.
Similarly, the lawmakers also directed the ministry to purchase essential drugs for the treatment of the affected persons; it also directed its Committee on Health and Human Services to visit the affected communities.
In a reaction, the Commissioner for Health, Mrs Lilian Stephen, attributed the deaths to “intense heat” being witnessed in Adamawa state.
Stephen said following the submission of the member, the ministry promptly dispatched professionals to the area who ascertained that two people died from intense heat and not cholera epidemic as a result of investigations carried out by the team of professionals.
She said: “Following the disclosure of the member representing Jada Constituency, we deployed our team of experts who reported that there was no cholera outbreak in the area.
“Normally, it is not every stool and vomiting that constitutes cholera; until investigations are conducted the veracity of the ailment cannot be ascertained.”
According to her, the government has provided Oral Rehydration Treatment (ORT) for the patients, and advised the people to compliment the government’s efforts by improving sanitary conditions in and around their environments.
