From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy has struck some communities in Cross River State as cholera has killed over 100 hundred persons with scores hospitalised in the last one month.
The communities affected include Ekureku in Abi, Eniong community in Odukpani local government area, Ukelle 2 in Yala loal government area and Obubra in Obubra local government area.
Investigation by Daily Sun revealed that these communities have been facing the challenges of portable drinking water and poor health facilities just as many of them don’t have toilets. It was learnt that in the last couple of years, a good number of rural communities have been battling with cholera every dry season.
Last year was no exception as the outbreak of cholera was first noticed in 10 villages of Ekureku in Abi on December 17, 2022 when some villagers started feeling severe diarrhea and dehydration.
Some of the community leaders said, at first, they thought it was the usual disease that they normally witness during dry season as this, but discovered that this time the disease was spreading very fast and was killing the affected persons within a few minutes of passing out watery stool.
It was reported that 51 persons were reported dead across 10 villages of Ekureku in one week with several others hospitalised and later treated and released. Another outbreak of cholera was recorded on December 20, 2022 at Eniong community in Odukpani local area with no casualty yet.
Barely three days after the Ekureku incident, two lives were reportedly lost at Mbora community in South Ukele of Yala local government area.
Checks by Daily Sun revealed that Obubra local government area has so far recorded the highest number of casualties as over 60 people were reported dead and 286 hospitalised following an outbreak of cholera in 51 communities in constituency 1 and 2. The 286 cases were confirmed from rapid diagnosis testing carried out by the officials from ministry of health.
Describing the situation as unfortunate, one of the clan heads in Ekureku community, Chief Bernard Egbe, said it has become an annual ritual and government is doing nothing about it. He said government should provide them with permanent solution, adding that it is unfortunate that they are still talking of cholera in the 21st century in Cross River even when billions of naira are said to be budgeted for healthcare.
Bemoaning the state of infrastructures in the various communities, especially the health system, the paramount ruler of Bekwarra local government area of the state, Linus Odey, lamented that about 16 communities in his domain drink water from the same stream with cows.
Speaking during a courtesy visit at his palace at Akwarinyin-Abu by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor, Odey said: “We have not enjoyed any dividends of democracy in the last seven and half years. Fourteen communities in my domain lack social amenities. No cottage hospital, no boreholes and roads that enhance the living standard of humans. It takes three days for them to get to the council headquarters at Abuochiche during the rainy season.”
Also reacting to the outbreak of the disease, the Ohorodo 1 of Okum Kingdom in Obubra, Chief Mbina Mbina Agbor, noted that past political office holders did not keep their promises of providing enough boreholes for the people, attributing the recent outbreak to open defecation and appealed to government to drill boreholes in the seven private primary schools as well as nursery schools in the area.
Speaking on the recent outbreak of the disease in Obubra, the Cross River State commissioner for health, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong, said only about 19 persons died and 286 cases were confirmed from rapid diagnosis testing.
Ekpeyong disclosed that out of 89 communities in Obubra, 51 were affected in constituency 1 and 2, adding that the measures so far taken are capable of bringing the outbreak under control just as she advised the people to avoid self-medication
According to her, the State coordinator of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Olatunde Yewande, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, (CRSPHCDA), Dr. Abasi Offiong Amos, as well as other health officials from the ministry has been dispatched to the affected communities. She said the team has visited Obubra General Hospital, Imabana, Ovonum Health Centre, Ofatura Health Centre
Also expressing worry at the number of casualties, the member representing Obubra/Etung federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Mike Etaba, also cautioned against open defecation and called on the people to adopt hygienic methods that will help to combat the outbreak.
Etaba said: “People should adhere strictly to the numerous health instructions about the best way to combat any cholera outbreaks. The early symptoms of cholera are usually watery stool and other signs of ill health and advised any person or persons so affected to immediately seek medical attention and desist from embarking on self-medication.
“The age old method of open defecation is very detrimental to public health. It should be abolished in communities. It is high time people made use of pit toilets which should be well constructed and covered to prevent further ugly incident in the area.
“I commend the ministry of health for the timely intervention to combat the cholera outbreak. So, I expect everybody to follow the procedure for the right way of administering the Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) distributed to them by the ministry and rely on drugs made available by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is in line with global standard.”
Also speaking on the outbreak of the disease, the chairman of Obubra local government area, Mr. Bassey Tom, said the disease started spontaneously and claimed the lives of about 19 persons while 200 others have also been treated and discharged to their various communities according to the health personnel working in the area.
Tom cautioned the residents against open defecation and advised the people to boil their water before drinking to avoid the outbreak of cholera in such a large scale.
One of the victims on admission at the General Hospital, Obubra, Joy Henry, said: “The outbreak of the disease came as a surprise to all of us. I just woke up in the middle of the night only to experience very severe stomach upset. I complained to my parents who promptly took me to the hospital for medical examination and since then I have been on admission at the hospital. I am responding to treatment.”