Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has said it is on high alert for various disease outbreaks including cholera that has been reported in other towns and cities.
One person suspected to be suffering from cholera is admitted to Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
This comes at a time when cholera cases are on the rise in Matabeleland South which has the fourth highest figure in Zimbabwe following suspected cases detected in Beitbridge.
So far, eight of the countries provinces have recorded suspected cases except for Matabeleland North and Midlands provinces.
Two suspected cases in Bulawayo have since tested negative, but there are fears of an outbreak due to water challenges being experienced in the city.
“In 2022 one cholera-suspected case was recorded in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane District, with a history of travel to high-risk areas that included Malawi and Zambia. Since the beginning of 2023, two suspected cholera cases with a history of travel to Zambia were detected in the northern suburbs district. Both patients tested negative for cholera,” said council corporate affairs manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu.
“There is currently no cholera outbreak in Bulawayo. The last cholera outbreak in Bulawayo was contained in 2018. The province is currently on high alert for various disease outbreaks, including cholera, evolving in neighbouring provinces and countries. It continues to roll out intensified Emergency Response Mechanisms for all Epidemic Preparedness and Response (EPR) pillars to detect, contain, monitor, predict and manage disease outbreaks.”
In a daily situational report, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said as of Tuesday, 257 suspected cholera cases, two laboratory-confirmed deaths, four suspected cholera deaths and 29 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported countrywide.
So far Mashonaland West is leading with the highest cases at 76) followed by Mashonaland Central with 62 and then Manicaland province with 53 cumulative cases.
“At number four is Matabeleland South province with 51 cases. The province also accounts for 12 of the 30 hospitalised cholera patients in Zimbabwe. The other 18 are admitted to Chimanimani (six), Mutare District (two) Mutasa (two), Chiredzi District (three), Chidodo Clinic (one), Thorngrove Hospital (one) and the last one at Marondera Hospital.”
In interviews, Bulawayo residents said they were living in constant fear of contracting cholera given the prevailing water crisis which keeps worsening.
The prevailing water supplies challenge has forced council to activate its water crisis committee and it held its first meeting on Monday at the Small City Hall.
What has worsened the city’s situation is that its supply dams have not filled up since
2017 when Cyclone Dineo hit Matabeleland South.
Ms Buhlebenkosi Ndiweni from Mzilikazi said even hospitals are affected as patients were recently asked to bring water from home.
She noted that council has also directed residents to boil tap water.
“We have been told to boil water which is never there and we wonder how we will go about that as we all know we are also battling a power crisis. We cannot continue like this hence our need for clean water so that we practice hygiene to avert the spread of cholera,” she said.
Mr Patson Nyoni said the water crisis is now an emergency that needs to be tackled before residents get sick.
“I am not even sure how we have lasted this long without dying because the water situation worsens with each passing day.
We appeal to authorities to help address the situation so that we can protect ourselves from cholera which is spreading in other provinces near Bulawayo.
We all know how close we are to Beitbridge and we may find ourselves sick soon if nothing is done,” he said. — @thamamoe
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