Cholera outbreak: Seven die in Borno IDP Camp

BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI

No fewer than seven persons were killed, many others admitted, while over 100 were discharged, as Cholera outbreak continued to wreck havoc in the Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri metropolis, the capital of Borno state.

Our correspondent who went to the camp reports that many patients were admitted and were receiving treatment at both the Muna IDP camp and Dala Lawanti cholera treatment centre.

The Medical Director of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Anna Cillers in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Maiduguri said seven people were killed as a result of the cholera outbreak in the camp, but confirmed that over 100 people were discharged.

She said in their effort to prevent further spread of cholera beyond the IDP camp in Maiduguri over 200 patients were admitted at the Dala treatment centre, since the outbreak of cholera last month.

“In the last 24 hours in Maiduguri metropolis of Borno state, we have received over 50 patients at MSF’s Cholera Treatment Unit at Dala. The total number of patients admitted from the start of the outbreak till now is over 200 with 100 patients discharged and seven people died,” she stated.

Cillers said the MSF is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other organisations to respond to outbreaks and diagnoses of cholera in the metropolis and resettlement camps,

She said: “We have already established a 40 bed Cholera Treatment Unit (CTU) in Dala, which has so far admitted 70 patients. MSF has also set up an Oral Re-hydration Point (ORP) in

Muna camp and has a team of 14 Community Health Workers (CHW) who are helping to find new cases and trace community members who may have come into contact with affected patients”.

“Most of the cholera patients come from Muna Garage, a camp for people who have fled other parts of the state due to the ongoing fight between the Nigerian armed forces and Boko Haram,” she added.

Cillers attributed the outbreak of cholera to heavy down pours of rain in the last three days, adding that this led to the flooding of Muna camp.

“The camp is partly flooded, making the already poor sanitary conditions at the camp even worse, which is an additional risk factor whenever there is cholera outbreak. A potential case has also now been reported from another part of the city,” she lamented.

Cillers said “Since last weekend, we have witnessed a steady increase in the number of patients at our treatment centre and at the re-hydration point in Muna camp. We are in the process of expanding the capacity of our Treatment centre in Dala to 50 beds and are exploring the possibility of opening another treatment centre close to the most affected areas.”

“MSF is also setting up re-hydration points in places where new cases are being reported and is sharing its medical expertise by training state health workers and those from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in prevention and control methods,” she said.

She assured that residents need not panic, but take adequate precautions against contracting cholera from contaminated water sources for domestic and industrial uses.

Also speaking the Borno state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia said they are on top of the “cholera epidemic,” as adequate measures have been put in place to avoid the spread of the epidemics.

He however, said “I cannot tell you the death toll, as I continue to visit all camps in Maiduguri to ensure that the epidemic does not further spread to other camps or claim more lives.”