Eight people have died from cholera in Zareku town in Miga Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
It was gathered that the latest casualties are among the 268 cases recorded in the town.
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Daily Trust learnt that 145 cholera patients are currently receiving treatment at Zareku’s Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC).
The outbreak of the disease is said to be more pronounced at the in Unguwar Kudu Quarters part of the town where there is a water pipeline burst.
A medical staff at the Zareku PHC explained that the incident started on Thursday night during which five people died.
He said, “We recorded the death of eight people, among who were seven females and one male as a result of the cholera outbreak in this town of Zareku.”
He maintained that from the beginning of the outbreak last Thursday, about 268 suspected cases were recorded, while 145 cases were admitted at the centre.
The medical staff, who sought for more help to douse the situation, lamented shortage of protection equipment and medical personnel.
The Village Head of Zareku, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, confirmed the incident in a chat with newsmen yesterday.
He said, “I have never seen a similar disaster where five people died at the same time like this one throughout my life in this town.”
A relative to some of the deceased, Hassan Galadima, narrated to newsmen how he lost two sisters to the disease within few hours.
Galadima said, “I lost my 16-year-old younger sister, Adama, a day after I lost my elder brother’s wife, Aisha, who was 35 years old. As I’m speaking to you now, the son of Aisha is on admission.”
The Zareku casualties add to the increasing death toll from the disease across the state.
Jigawa recorded its first cholera case on July 19, where over 30 persons were said to have lost their lives and 200 others hospitalised.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Salisu Mu’azu, while confirming the resurgence of the disease, said over 5,000 cholera cases had been recorded across the state, with over 100 deaths.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mu’azu said cholera cased had been recorded in 19 out of the 27 local government areas in the state, with Hadejia topping the list.
According to him, “90 per cent of deaths are recorded at home because people don’t report early. They only do so when it is no longer safe, that is why we don’t have accurate figures.”
He, however, assured that the state government was working hard to contain the spread of the disease.
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