Kwekwe on high alert for possible cholera outbreak

Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent

KWEKWE District Civil Protection Unit (CPU) is on high alert for waterborne diseases following the detection of cholera in other parts of the country.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care confirmed that two cholera cases were detected in Chegutu last week, sending signals that the waterborne disease that has already been reported in some African countries had entered Zimbabwe’s borders.

Kwekwe CPU chairperson, Mr Fortune Mpungu urged residents to be vigilant especially given the incessant rains.

“Let us be on high alert for cholera which has already affected our neighboring town Chegutu. The ministry of health shall be providing regular updates on the disease,” he said.

Kwekwe City Acting Health Director, Sister Patricia Shumba said the local authority had identified isolation centers in case of any recorded case.

“We have our Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH)ready in case we record any cholera case. We have also set up other centers in Silobela and Zhombe so that people can be quickly treated in case there is a recorded case,” she said.

Sister Shumba said health workers had also been trained on handling cholera cases.

“We have capacitated our health care workers so that they are aware of how to handle the case to avoid the disease spreading further,” she said.

This comes as some parts of the mining town have gone for days without water supply.

When it’s raining heavily, the council usually struggles to purify the water due to increased turbidity hence they close the taps to avoid supplying contaminated water to residents.