By Daniel Tyokua
Despite assurances from the FCT Administration of adequate measures to halt cholera cases, the disease has reportedly killed three persons at Kobi community in Abuja.
Kobi community which is in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is few kilometre away from Asokoro district.
The area is being ravaged by cholera for the past two weeks without any proper action by the appropriate authorities.
A senior community health officer in Kobi health centre, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said the outbreak even affected Madaki of the Community.
“The Madaki lost his sister, while himself and his son are also infected”
The health officer explained that while the Centre has Inadequate facilities to care for the patients, it can’t admit them, because of unavailability of cholera drugs in the centre.
Checks in the area showed that lack of drugs and other essential medical items have crippled operations at the centre, making the officials to refer many cases to some private hospitals due to the ongoing industrial action by resident doctors, while some less acute cases are been managed by the affected people at their various homes.
More scary is the disclosure that the cholera outbreak is not just in Kobi, but also ravaging the two neighbouring communities around the Asokoro District.
“Yes there is a cholera outbreak here in Kobi. We just referred one case to ECWA clinic Karu, because of the doctors’ strike.
“I don’t have the accurate record of those that have died, but I know of one death, and in that same compound, about two person, I was able to manage one, but referred one to same ECWA Clinic.
“I don’t have drugs for cholera here, AMAC people said they are not aware. We have facilities to admit patients here, but we don’t have drugs”, the officer said.
When contacted, the Acting secretary FCT Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Ndaeyo Iwot said the community mentioned is under Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), not under the purview of his agency.
However, Iwot said he had contacted the Director of public health in AMAC to urgently make provision for the supply of drugs to the PHC in Kobi.
