By Makhosi Sibanda
DESPITE ten (10) out of twelve (12) suspected cases of Cholera having been confirmed negative for the deadly disease in Bulawayo, the city remains on high-alert.
Over 30 deaths have been reported countrywide from possible cases numbering close to two thousand. Bulawayo has since set up a Cholera response center at its only infectious disease hospital — Thorngrove — which is reportedly unable to accommodate more than 100 patients at a given time.
10 residents who had been quarantined at the center on suspicion of having contracted cholera in Bulawayo, were yesterday cleared of the disease after tests came back negative. Two more tests are yet to be done keeping the city’s health departments on high alert.
Bulawayo vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) has implored its thousands of members in market places to exercise extreme caution in handling food following the outbreak of cholera in Harare and the eventual spread to the second largest city.
The water borne disease, which broke out in Harare at the beginning of the month, has claimed at least 30 lives.
In an interview, BVTA executive director Mr Michael Ndiweni said it remains important that vendors and all the residents alike be proactive in the fight against the spreading scourge.
Listen to Ndiweni here.
“We urge all our members to wash hands with hand washing detergents and running water before handling food,” said Mr Ndiweni.
In Harare police clashed with vendors who were resisting being removed from streets as part of the country’s efforts to fight the cholera outbreak.
Vendors were alerting each other of armed riot police and municipality officials coming to confiscate their wares and as soon as police officials left, the vendors would resume their business.
Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak has since spread to several parts of the country from its epicenter in Harare’s densely populated suburbs.
The Health and Child Care Minister Moyo says cholera vaccine will be rolled out in the coming weeks, ahead of the rainy season, which can cause cholera to spread further.
Minister told media that the vaccine is just one of the measures the government is taking to ensure that no more lives are lost.
More than 400 new cases of cholera were reported as of last week.