Onyekwulu urged the state government to revive the water
system in the state to avoid the outbreak of cholera.
According to him, Anambra is lucky not to have recorded a
case of cholera since its outbreak in the country, saying it was reported in
Enugu, Delta, Bayelsa and other parts of the country.
Onyekwulu said that the government needs to revive the water
system to ensure that cholera would have no business in the state.
He said that poor environmental sanitation is the major
cause of cholera spread in a state and urged the government to make the state
environment friendly where water would be constant and available to the masses.
“The lack of clean and safe water in a state can lead to
cholera and other infectious disease outbreak.
“Other factors that can lead to cholera is lack of clean
food and poor personal hygiene of the people, like when people pick fruits and
eat without washing it, or vegetables without proper washing or not washing
their hands if they want to eat food.
“Open defecation as well aid the spread of cholera but all
the mentioned issues could be warded off if the government provides water,” he
said.
Onyekwulu said that the public water system needs to be
provided for the safety and healthy living of the public in rural areas to
check all forms of infectious diseases from becoming prevalent in the state.
He said it is important for the Public Health Department of
the State Health Ministry to be on air to inform and educate the people about
the outbreak of cholera in the country.
“It is the right time for public health workers to enlighten
the public about infections diseases and how to prevent them. We are lucky
there are no reported cases in Anambra now.
“We do not need to wait for cholera to spread before we
control it, let public health workers move into the rural areas to inform the
people about the outbreak of cholera in neighbouring states,” he said.
He said that the NMA, as a body, is ever ready and willing
to partner with the state ministry of health to battle cholera or any other
infectious diseases in the state if the need arises.
Onyekwulu said that NMA has nothing doing now in particular
about a cholera outbreak, but suggested that to control its spread there should
be enough awareness about its outbreak.
“The local dwellers need to be educated about the causes,
prevention and control of cholera to enable them to play safe and live right.
“We as medical doctors have been teaching ourselves
Preventive and control measures of any type of infectious disease, so if the
government seeks our assistance to work against the outbreak of cholera in the
state we are ready,” he said.
He said that the doctors are on their guard and if cholera
breaks out in the state it would be picked and nipped in the bud immediately
because we know what to do.
Onyekwulu said that poor Environmental sanitation enhances
the spread of cholera because of the lack of clean water and clean food, open
defection and dirty hands all-cause cholera.
Onyekwulu added that cholera could be checked by the
provision of water toilet systems or latrines across homes in the urban and
rural areas for people to live right.
He said that water and salt solution is a quick remedy for a
person suffering from cholera, so once the people are well guarded it will not
result in infusion or death.
Onyekwulu said healthcare assessment is expensive and
appealed to the government to make available health insurance to all through
legislation to be compulsory so that people can access medical care easily.
He said that medical practitioners need a friendly
environment to be able to practice like other medical personnel outside the
country.
“We need to have constant electricity supply to function
well, good road network and water system that is functioning to ensure the
cleanliness of the hospitals. -NAN