By Daily Revelation Reporter
Health minister Sylvia Masebo has announced that 27 people died from cholera yesterday
And Masebo said National Heroes Stadium recorded a total of 567 new cases countrywide.
Giving an update on the cholera situation in the country from Heroes Stadium yesterday, Masebo said out of 576, 504 were Lusaka based cases which brings the accumulative total since October when the disease broke out to 5,463.
She said among those who have died, 26 are from Lusaka making the cumulative number of deaths to 223 deaths.
Masebo said on a positive note, the ministry had recorded recoveries with 350 discharges yesterday.
She said presently, there are 1,059 patients countrywide under admission with Heroes Stadium serving as the primary treatment cholera center and that majority of these are from Lusaka.
She also talked about the preventive measures which includes washing hands, boiling and chlorinating drinking water to ensure it was clean and safe.
Masebo said it does not matter whether it was borehole water or tap water, it should be treated.
She advised citizens to wash hands before eating and handling food.
Masebo said food should be thoroughly cooked and well stored to avoid contamination.
She said salads should be avoided when eating meals.
The minister also has advised against buying food from the street as it is a risk.
Masebo also talked about community awareness where she says everyone should play their role.
But Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe said the cholera outbreak has worsened owing to the UPND administration’s failure to heed calls from stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector to increase the budgetary allocation, which has been declining yearly.
In a statement issued by SP Media Director Brian Hapunda, Dr M’membe stated that the 2024 National Budget has remained silent on financing the Multi-Sectorial Cholera Elimination Plan which was launched in 2019.
The SP leader said the government’s decreasing investment in WASH relative to the overall budget and other priorities is inconsistent with its stated goal of improving WASH services.
Dr. M’membe said it was heartbreaking to see people dying helplessly due to excessive congestion in health care facilities.
“What we are seeing now is indicative of a health care system, which is on the verge of collapse,” stated Dr M’membe. “Let Mr. Hichilema come out in the open and admit that he has failed to manage the cholera situation in the country, especially in Lusaka.”
The SP leader stated that with proper planning and mobilization of resources, the cholera situation would have been contained within a few weeks.
He stated this during the donation of chlorine to residents of Lusaka’s Garden Compound.
