Thursday, May 26, 2016
(ERGO) - Twenty three people, mainly children under five, are currently being treated for acute watery diarrhoea in two health centres in Beled Hawa district, in southern Somalia’s Gedo region.
Sahra Omar, head of Beled Hawa district hospital, confirmed to Radio Ergo that they received 12 patients, including eight children under five, on Tuesday.
The hospital, run by the NGO Trócaire, is providing free medical services to patients.
Eleven others are being treated at Jamal health centre, according to the doctor running the clinic, Jamal Hussein Mire. He noted that three of the patients were admitted on Tuesday.
The doctors linked the spread of the diarrheal infection to poor hygiene and sanitation resulting from rain water stagnating in public places in the town.
Farhiya Abdi has been in Jamal clinic with her two year-old son for the fifth day. She told Radio Ergo that her child was responding well to treatment. “The doctor told me in the morning that my son has recovered and I can take him home,” Farhiya said.
Abdikardir Abdirisak Hassan, a patient at Jamal, said he was brought to the centre by the hospital ambulance after he became severely dehydrated.
According to Sahra Omar, Beled Hawa district hospital has treated a total of 217 patients including 130 children under five years, since the outbreak of the infection earlier this month.
She advised residents to take extra care over personal hygiene to prevent and control the spread of the disease.