Cholera camps in Lilongwe are admitting 10 patients per day but the district has a severe shortage of medical supplies to fight the disease which has killed over 490 people in Malawi this year.
Lilongwe DHO Nursing Midwifery Officer Bertha Kaudza revealed this yesterday when Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) received a donation of Granular Chlorine worth K1.5 million from Lilongwe Water Board (LWB).
Malawi News Agency (MANA) reported that the district health office is in need of various medical equipment to enable health workers to treat cholera patients.
“We need more intravenous fluids especially ringer’s lactated, IV giving sets, Cannula, cotton as well as spirit and related equipment so that our nurses can deliver adequate care to our clients.
“At the moment, we have 120 clients in Bwaila camp only and other camps are admitting more than 10 clients a day that is why we need more medical supplies and equipment,” she pointed out.
She then hailed LWB for its donation saying that it was timely and would help them to take care of Cholera patients among other things.
She urged other well wishers including individuals and companies to emulate what LWB has done.
LWB Chief Executive Officer Silli Mbewe said that they decided to make their donation as one way of complementing their corporate social responsibility.
“We at LWB, looking at our mandate which is the provision of potable water, we have that other added responsibility to look at issues around corporate social responsibility, “Mbewe said.
In Malawi, over 15,694 Cholera cases have been confirmed and as of 27 December, the number of deaths was 494. Lilongwe alone has registered 849 cases and 71 deaths.
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