By Rhoda Mutuku
Thousands of head-teachers attending the 13th Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) delegates’ conference in Mombasa, have been cautioned to observe high standards of hygiene following the current cholera scare in the county.
Regional authorities ‘in abundance of caution’ have issued this latest cholera alert on the sidelines of the annual conference that attracted more than 10,000 head-teachers from all over the country.
Coast coordinator Nelson Marwa appealed to the participants attending the week-long conference to observe basic food and personal hygiene practices to protect themselves against the foodborne illness.
“Make sure you wash your hands properly before you eat. Don’t rush to gobble your meal just because you feel hungry and invite a more serious problem” Marwa said while urging Mombasa county authorities to intensify the ongoing campaign to contain the disease.
Marwa’s cautionary remarks comes as two more patients were admitted with cholera symptoms in less than a week after County health executive Hazel Koitaba declared that the outbreak had been contained.
The two new cholera cases were reported at Mwembe Tayari health center a couple of days ago. Last Sunday some eight MCAs from Migori County were flown to Nairobi for further treatment after showing cholera-like symptoms while staying at a local hotel.
A statement by Koitaba last week ordered a public health campaign that includes ban on hawking of foods and bottled water within town and estates to contain further spread of the disease.
“We wish to confirm that the situation is now contained…the department of health and public sanitation is committed to oversee and ensure that any cases are put under control and the County government effectively and decisively responds,” stated Koitaba.
“We have with immediate effects banned all food outsourced from hotels, suppliers and business entities who are unlicensed and have not received a health inspection certificate from the department…the executive said and added that a multi-sectoral taskforce to oversee the implementation of the directives had been appointed.
The outbreak of cholera in the port city which was announced two weeks ago has so far claimed four people among them a mother and her child in Makande area.
