One Cholera case has been recorded at Mtendere Mission Hospital in Chirundu Township of Siavonga District in Southern Province.
Four more patients with serious diarrhoea have also been recorded from the site were the more than 100 villagers who were displaced last week have settled.
Siavonga District Director of Health, Joseph Kabungo, confirmed the outbreak of the epidemic in an interview with Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Siavonga this morning.[quote]
Dr Kabungo disclosed that the cholera patient, who is said to have travelled from Mazabuka to Chirundu township, is admitted to the mission hospital were she is undergoing treatment in isolation. She had travelled to visit her relatives who were displaced in Chirundu last week by a named investor.
More than 100 families have been left homeless in Nabakuyu village after an investor swung into action last week and demolished houses following a Lusaka High Court order that was passed in the investor’s favour.
However, the Office of the Vice President quickly came to the aid of the affected villagers and supplied them with tents and food stuffs.
But Dr Kabungo described the area where the villagers have since settled as a potential site for a huge epidemic.
Dr Kabungo observed that more cholera cases are expected because the area lacks basic needs such as toilets and safe drinking water to cater for the villagers.
“When you look at this area you cannot be so sure because it is a potential site for a huge epidemic as last season we had a disaster and if nothing is done we are going to have a huge disaster,” he noted.
He described the area where the villagers have settled as a refugee camp and not fit for human habitation, adding that it is totally unacceptable for people to use the bush as toilets.
“As a department we are already constrained with the resources and, therefore, we cannot afford to set up a cholera camp which will really cater for a huge huge population if we have serious outbreak there,” he said.
He said the break out of the disease in the area would have been avoided had the investor applied human conditions.
Dr Kabungo, however, assured that as a department they have put in place cholera control measures such as distribution of chlorine and giving general health education on common diarrhea diseases relating to onset of rain season.
ZANIS
Africa will never cease to abuse the rights of fellow Africans in favour of a white Man. These people that are displaced have been on the Area for many years and today an investor running away from economical hardship in their countries comes and wins a case against the inhabitants of the Area. what a shame. Now a life as been lost……………what is wrong with us blacks?
I dont understand. Were these people illegal squatters or what? Surely the land must have belonged to somebody. The media should serously persue this case. GRZ needs to answer.
It says a high court order so i guess they were squaters. What we should really address is the land law. We have chiefs selling land to whoever has money without considering the actual occupants
‘He described the area where the villagers have settled as a refugee camp and not fit for human habitation’
Ba Doc, are refugees not human beings??? Is what is fit for a refugee not fit for displaced people???
Here comes cholera again.. with the rain season in sight , its survival of the fittest pa Zedi.
A white man is respected like a small god in Zambia. They are given thousands of hactors while in their countries they dont have even a plot to built a house. The poor lose land just like that without any compensation. WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE BLACKS?
This is very very sad. Shame on you MMD
We will not let this tragedy dstreoy us . David, you as the artist have accomplished a wondrous feat in your sketches and I hope everyone gets a chance to view this unique and remarkable portrayal of the Haiti tragedy. My thanks to people like you and Sonja for bringing this issue to the forefront and I hope it ispires everyone to do their part to bring some love, assistance and hope to the people of Haiti-true heroes.Dr. George-Barber