Patients in one of the wards at Garissa Provincial General Hospital. Cases of cholera have been reported in Hagarbul. [Photo/nepjournal.com]
The health department in Garissa County has said they have enough supplies to deal with the cholera outbreak in the county.
County disease surveillance coordinator Hassan Elmi said cholera emergency supplies that are still in the stores will be enough to deal with cholera cases that have been reported in Hagarbul.
Mr Elmi said four children aged between six and 10 from Hagarbul were taken to Dadaab Sub-county Hospital, Garissa after their symptoms of diarrhoea persisted.
“We have enough emergency supplies to deal with the disease. We ordered a 10-tonne truck of the supplies last year. We believe it will be enough to deal with the Hagarbul cases,” Mr Elmi said.
The surveillance coordinator said the children were subjected to rapid diagnostic tests which revealed cholera adding that the samples collected from the victims were taken to Hagadera centre for disease control and the results confirmed the four are suffering from cholera.
“We have received results from Hagadera laboratory that the four have tested positive for cholera. Our fears have been confirmed and we shall send additional health workers to Hagarbul to support those on the ground,” Mr Elmi said.
The health workers are taking precautionary measures to contain the disease and residents have been advised to maintain high standards of hygiene by boiling drinking water, washing their hands after visiting the latrine and eating inspected meat.