From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin -Kebbi
About three victims of diarrhoea have reportedly died while 167 others have been hospitalised in Kardi village, in Birnin-Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Daily Sun investigations, however, said that over 40 people had died in their homes in the area as a result of the outbreak of the disease.
But the Community Health Officer of Kardi village, who is in charge of the Primary Health Center, Abdulkarim Abubakar, informed journalists that the health centre had recorded only three deaths from the 160 patients admitted.
He disclosed that about five ‘serious cases’ were referred to Sir Yahya Specialist Hospital, in Birnin-Kebbi and 147 patients others had been discharged.
Vice Chairman of Birnin-Kebbi Local Government Area, who is also the Acting Chairman of the Local Government Area, Alhaji Usman Ibrahim, was said to have visited the victims on Monday and delivered drugs worth N350,000 donated by the local government in Kardi primary health centre where the patients were receiving treatment.
While delivering the drugs, he commiserated with families of the deceased and the entire people of Kardi over the sad incident. He said the local government responded quickly in view of the gravity of the situation in order to urgently arrest the situation.
Ibrahim, who is also the Chairman of the forum of Local Government Vice chairmen in the state called on people to avoid self medication and maintain clean environment at all times.
He said Gwadangaji area which was also affected by diarrhoea would also received medical assistance from the local government.
He said, “While I commiserate with the victims , we felt sad over the recorded incidence of deaths and the local government brought the drugs for your treatment. It is free of charge, do not give single kobo before you collect the medicine ” .
In his remarks, the Director of Health in the local government, Nura Hassan urged people in the area to maintain clean surroundings and warned them to stop defecating everywhere in the environment and always construct a local latrine for defecation.
The village head of Kardi, Ahmad Fodio Bashar, thanked the Birnin-Kebbi Local Government Area for the gesture and also commended two sons of the area, Alhaji Usman Kardi, Registrar, Waziri Umar Federal Polytechnic Birnin-Kebbi and Ibrahim Sarki for their quick financial and medical assistance to the victims.