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Doctors say cholera toll now 800
The Standard (Zimbabwe)
November 30, 2008

http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com/local/19302--doctors-saycholera-toll-now-800.html

A group of doctors has put the cholera death toll at 800 throughout the country, amid reports that seven prisoners died at Chinhoyi Prison following an outbreak. The Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) said about one in every 10 people who contracted the highly contagious but curable disease did not survive. Last week the United Nations put the number of deaths at 366 while the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Edwin Muguti on Friday said 386 people had died. The government, which have been accused of trying to downplay the extent of the cholera outbreak, said about 8 700 cases of cholera had been reported in the country. But Dr Douglas Gwatidzo, the chairman of ZADHR, said calculations based on government figures showed that the number of people killed by the disease had surpassed 800.

"The problem with trying to cover up statistics and downplaying a situation is that you end up making estimates that don't make sense," Gwatidzo said. "If we are saying 8 700 cases have been reported countrywide, how can we then say that 383 people have died of cholera when we are saying at the same time, one in every 10 cholera cases has resulted in death? Determining the exact number of people who have died of cholera could be very difficult because of the information blackout that characterised the early days of the epidemic. But with what we have the deaths cannot be anything less than 800 and I believe we are fast approaching 1 000."

Sources say at least 300 people have died at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital alone since the outbreak began last month. A group of Harare councillors, who visited the hospital early this week reportedly also, confirmed these reports. With government hospitals unable to handle cholera cases, non-governmental organisations such as Medicines San Frontiers, International Red Cross Society and the United Nations Children's Fund have stepped in to assist. Unicef together with other aid agencies are also reportedly feeding poorly paid health workers so that they can keep working, to avert the crisis that has spilled over into South Africa and Botswana.

Almost all the country's 10 provinces have reported cases of cholera since the first recorded outbreak in Chitungwiza in August. A group of local doctors under the Zimbabwe Medical Doctor's Association (ZIMA) has also joined the fight against cholera. Yesterday the doctors began working at five clinics around the country including Mbare Polyclinic. ZIMA secretary general, Tapuwa Bwakura said the Harare City Council had directed them to Mbare Polyclinic where fresh cases of cholera had been recorded. ZIMA also offers free services at Pelandaba in Bulawayo, Amaveni and Mbizvo in Kwekwe, Runyararo clinic in Masvingo and Chipinge Hospital in Manicaland.

Meanwhile, two inmates were found dead in their prison cells in Chinhoyi on Tuesday morning while five died at Chaedza Hall between Sunday and Monday after they contracted cholera. A source said 13 inmates suffering from the disease were at the hall, which has become a temporary cholera treatment centre following the closure of the provincial hospital. One of the prison officials said some of the sick were put in one cell to prevent the disease from spreading at the complex. The prison with a carrying capacity of 150 has a total of 260 inmates, a situation officials said had worsened the outbreak. Mashonaland West provincial medical director Wenceslaus Nyamayaro refused to comment on the outbreak saying it was a "security" matter. Chinhoyi Prison officials also refused to comment. Last week the government appealed for body bags from the United Nations and medical supplies worth US$117 000 to deal with the outbreak. Health and Child Welfare Minister, David Parirenyatwa confirmed asking the UN body to co-ordinate efforts to curb cholera but refused to comment on the ZADHR figures.

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