Diarrhoea outbreak claims one

Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter
A 61-YEAR-OLD woman has succumbed to diarrhoea following the outbreak that hit Bulawayo’s Tshabalala Extension suburb last week.

The deceased, Ms Rowesai Gore died at Mpilo Central Hospital on Sunday night.As of Wednesday, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) had recorded 1 093 diarrhoea cases (9 new) and one death.

The last outbreak in the city was in May this year when 50 cases were reported in Emganwini suburb, and the worst reported outbreak was in 2020, when a diarrhoea outbreak in Luveve suburb claimed 13 lives and infected nearly 2 000 people.

During a stakeholders meeting held at the City Hall on Thursday, Bulawayo City Council’s health services Director Dr Edwin Sibanda said one person had succumbed to diarrhoea.

Dr Sibanda said it was an unfortunate incident.
Speaking to Chronicle, family spokesperson Ms Siphathisiwe Ncube, who is Ms Gore’s daughter-in-law, said the deceased was buried on Thursday following her death last Sunday.

“My mother-in-law together with everyone else in this household was affected by diarrhoea, we were sick for the whole of last week but most of us became better as time went on.

“Last Friday, her diarrhoea condition worsened and we took her to a clinic, where they gave her medication. On Saturday we went back and they told us that her blood pressure (BP) was very low due to dehydration that was caused by diarrhoea.

“On Sunday her condition had deteriorated, therefore, we took her to Mpilo Central Hospital, where she was admitted and passed away at around 11pm,” said Ms Ncube.

Ms Gore’s cousin, Mr Raymond Mundawaro, blamed the Bulawayo City Council for her death.
Mr Mundawaro said they were facing financial challenges and appealed to council for assistance with burial expenses, but the city fathers did not respond.

“The council is responsible for my cousin’s death, because we all got sick due to their dirty water, even today the water is still unclean and smelly. We are not drinking tap water, nothing has been fixed,” said Mr Mundawaro.

The area’s councillor, Cllr Tawanda Ruzive said they are still waiting for the official post mortem report but it is obvious that diarrhoea led to the death of the deceased.

“We know water was the source leading to the diarrhoea that then triggered the BP,” said Cllr Ruzive.