Mombasa man dies of cholera as his wife fights for her life

A MAN has died of cholera in Likoni, Mombasa County, while his wife is battling for her life at a cholera treatment centre bringing the death toll to six in a span of two months.

This comes barely two months after at least 95 police officers have been hospitalised in the same country with suspected cases of cholera.

More than 10 other cholera patients are undergoing treatment at various public and private hospitals as the county’s Health department looks for ways of containing the outbreak.

“He died at Shika Adabu and the wife is still fighting for her life at the same facility. Her condition has deteriorated,” said a source at the facility.

The cholera outbreak was reported in October when the first case was detected in Jomvu Sub-County.

In November last year (2017), at least 95 police officers were hospitalised in the same country with suspected cases of cholera and according to the Health ministry, the officers are said to have been infected after taking meals at the Nairobi Area Police Canteen.

Some 59 officers who were part of a group of 430 officers deployed to Nairobi ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on presidential poll petition were hospitalised in various hospitals in Nairobi with another 36 admitted after contracting the disease.

“Those infected did not get the disease from the Multimedia University since they had their lunch away from the institution. Investigations show that the source is the Nairobi Area Police Canteen,” said Dr Ralph Muli, the Nairobi County head of Diseases Surveillance.

One of the police officers who requested anonymity said they ate ugali (a Kenyan staple made of maize flour) and meat stew at the canteen on Saturday.

The Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu said investigations were underway to establish whether the canteen from which they had their meal a day before had outsourced services to cater for the large number of officers.

He said the ministry was concerned that instead of eliminating cholera, new cases were emerging. Nairobi was first hit by the outbreak on May 19 with about 56 cases having been reported.

Meanwhile, at least 20 National Youth Service (NYS) officers have been infected with cholera in Tana River County.

County health officials said the 20 officers from Bura NYS camp have been admitted to the Bura Sub-County Hospital.