Zimbabwean health workers welcome return to normalcy as cholera outbreak ends

By Xinhua

HARARE: Health workers in Zimbabwe have welcomed a return to normalcy at facilities which had been dealing with cholera for nearly 18 months.

The southern African nation declared the end of a cholera outbreak earlier this month after going more than 30 days without recording any new cases.

Between November last year and June of this year, Kuwadzana, a high-density suburb in the capital Harare, was the epicentre of a cholera outbreak.

An average of 90 patients sought treatment at this clinic every day during that period.

“It was so challenging. At that time there were few nurses to cater for all those patients, but later on the Ministry of Health chipped in and we got more nurses from other facilities to come and help us,” said Prisca Ndoro, a nurse working at the clinic.

Most of the people Ndoro treated required urgent rehydration and in some extreme cases referral to the main national treatment centre. Two of her patients didn’t make it.

“By the time that they reached here, it was too late,” she said.

Ndoro said late detection is the biggest risk when it comes to the diarrheal disease.

She and other health workers welcome rapid test kits and hailed them for being a game changer in reducing uncertainty in patient care.

“Some of them they even come in a comatose condition. Some of them would not be able to drink or walk or speak. And with the use of rapid cholera test kits, it’s so easy to diagnose the patients. So we could test before treating. So we can be so sure that this is cholera,” said Ndoro.

At the peak of the outbreak, a dedicated treatment bay was set up to intercept cholera cases at the entrance of the clinic.

Though the outbreak is over, the Kuwadzana community remains vigilant.

“We are happy that there are no more cases. It’s now back to normal, but we are still practicing the preventive measures. We are scared because of how badly the disease hit this area,” said Sabinah Mtengiswa, a food vendor.