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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Health Crisis - Focus on Cholera and Anthrax - Index of articles
State
puts tight lid on cholera stats
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
November 17, 2008
The residents
of Harare are irked by the way in which the state has gagged all
health centres attending to cholera cases in a bid to keep the statistics
under wrap. During the past week, the Combined Harare Residents
Association (CHRA) received numerous reports from residents to the
effect that more than 100 people have died (between October and
November) at the Budiriro Poly Clinic as well as Beatrice Infectious
Diseases Hospital where cholera patients are being attended to but
the government has never released this information in the state
media. Two members of the CHRA Secretariat, however, despite some
drama in which some state agents-like men confiscated their cameras
and vehicle and momentarily illegally detained them, managed access
to the Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital and caught a glimpse
of the rate at which people are dying.
At the time of arrival
around mid-day of the 16th of November 2008, there were over 50
patients queuing at the hospital. Within less than an hour spent
at the hospital 6 deaths (5 adults and 1 child) had been recorded.
During the three hours that the CHRA Secretariat was observing the
goings-on at the Hospital, an average of 5 patients would be brought
in at 20 minute intervals. The hospital has run out of admission
beds and some patients who are considered to be seriously ill are
made to lie down under trees upon which the water drips are then
hung.
Furthermore,
the hospital is heavily understaffed because of the general brain
drain which has crippled the country's health and other sectors
and because of the magnitude of the cholera scourge which has seen
the hospital staff working over time. The nursing staff at the hospital
is said to be largely nurse aides taken from other health centres.
The City of Harare Director of Health, Stanley Mungofa was the only
senior person there and he was busy writing prescriptions for the
patients. Some nurse aides, whom our staff members managed to talk
to, said that the hospital had run out of protective clothing and
disinfectants thus they also risked contracting the disease. The
toilets that are supposed to be used by patients at the hospital
are also very dirty which makes the hope of reducing the cholera
scourge very distant.
The conditions at Budiriro
Poly clinic are no better as some of the patients actually mess
themselves at the environs of the clinic and there is no adequate
water to clean up the mess. Even those people without cholera who
visit the place usually contract the disease from the clinic.
In its propagandizing
mission, the state media has reported very conservative cholera
statistics (a paltry 37 deaths) in a bid to conceal the reality
on the ground. The government continues to pretend that all is well
in the country and can not acknowledge failure. This only helps
to further illuminate the Government and ZINWA's culpability
of the cholera pandemic and deprives the victims and the nation
of the desperately needed aid.
CHRA is in the
process of compiling more statistics of the cholera cases in Harare
and will continue to mobilize support for the affected and infected
residents and to push for the return of water and sewer management
to the City Council.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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