South Africa : Rehydration centres set up for Beit Bridge cholera victims

By Sydney Masinga

Musina - Three rehydration centres have been established at the Beit Bridge border post to help treat Zimbabweans who have been diagnosed with Cholera and arrived in South Africa seeking medical help.

Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development spokesperson Phuti Seloba said on Wednesday that two people had died of the disease at Musina Hospital on Tuesday, where 54 other cases have been reported since Saturday.

"None of the patients are South African, but all came from Zimbabwe for treatment," he said.

A total of 38 patients have already been discharged and 14 are still receiving treatment.

Mr Seloba said the hospital was not equipped to cope with so many cases of cholera and therefore the rehydration centres had been set up.

"Cholera is characterised by severe, watery diarrhoea that may lead to people dying of dehydration," he said.

Zimbabwe, including the capital city of Harare, is currently in the grip of a severe cholera outbreak as water services in that country have collapsed.

Doctors have warned that the situation will get even worse when the rains start in earnest.

Wilson Dzebu, spokesperson of the Musina Local Municipality, said that they had tested all the water sources around Musina and found no signs of cholera.

"We are liaising on a daily basis with the provincial Department of Health to make sure that none of our citizens is infected or affected by cholera," he said. - BuaNews