Dr. Loice Kabyanga in-charge of the cholera section at Lwere Hospital said the cholera outbreak started with four cases last Wednesday and so far, three deaths had been registered. “Out of the three deaths; one was admitted for two days on ward but unfortunately he passed on the third day. Then the other patient who died, she died on arrival and the other one died at the gate.” Said, Dr. Loice Kabyanga – Medical Doctor, Lwere Hospital.

In less than a week, the number of those admitted at the hospital had risen to 94 most of whom were children below ten years of age. “And so from Wednesday to date, we have an accumulative figure of 94 cases. Basically most of them are between 1 year and ten years.” Dr. Kabyanga said that the cholera outbreak caught the hospital unawares an improvised ward had to be quickly set up in the limited space available. “Our former medical ward we had to demarcate it for isolation and the patients who were in that ward we shifted to other wards. We need staff to particularly handle that and these staff must not mix with other patients in other wards and yet they also had departments where they were working.”

She was also worried that the hospital didn’t not have enough supplies to manage the outbreak. “Like myself here, I would be putting on some other things which would protect from getting direct contact with the patients but some of those things we haven’t received them.” Sunday Peter, the LC III Chairperson of Nyakiyumbu the most affected sub-county attributed the cholera outbreak to heavy rains that washed away people’s toilets and contaminated the streams where they get their water. “Running water came in and swept most latrines. So all that water spread all over. Water that they are drinking is not safe. So in the process, these people have been affected.” Said, Sunday Peter – LC3 Chairperson, Nyakiyumbu Sub-county. The government had been urged to step in and provide water because a jerrycan of clean water was currently being sold for 1,000 shillings which was too expensive for most of the area residents. “Meanwhile, we have engaged the government through National Water and Sewerage Corporation to see that really they provide safe and clean water.” The Ministry of Health appealed to Kasese district health officials to increase surveillance and awareness campaigns.