The Murang’a Municipal Board has banned cooking and hawking of food within Murang’a town as efforts to contain the spread of cholera are intensified.
On Saturday, four cholera cases were ascertained after rapid tests done to patients who were admitted at Murang’a level 5 hospital.
The Board, after holding a meeting on Monday morning, issued a ban on hawking of food within the town as residents were asked to avoid eating food from unclean places and ensure they only take treated water.
Three of the patients who were admitted were discharged after successful treatment and one patient is still recuperating in the hospital but in stable condition.
A Board member in charge of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Bernard Muia said they have embarked on health promotion to ensure there is no other outbreak of cholera in the town.
He said a team of public health officers was deployed to trace people who were with the victims.
“Those handling foods are required to be in possession of permit from the public health department. Those who will be found without the legal document will be arrested,” said Muia.
He allayed fears that there are more cases of cholera within the town, urging local residents to ensure they observe cleanliness.
“From the results which were gathered in the hospital they indicate that the cause of cholera could be traced from water and food the victims believed to have consumed,” he added.
The residents are said to have taken water from a local river which is suspected to have been contaminated.
Some house owners are suspected to have emptied raw sewer at Murare River thus putting lives of residents who depend on the river at risk of contracting diseases.
Muia said the Board will ensure no sewer is being emptied in the river. Landlords are advised to use appropriate methods of disposing raw sewer.
Members of the Board lauded Murang’a County Referral Hospital for swiftly handling the patients who exhibited cholera like symptoms.
The hospital has already established cholera treatment centre so as to effectively handle any case of the disease.
By Bernard Munyao
