The hospital’s 30 beds are all in use, with no space for additional patients.
Last year there was an outbreak of typhoid in Tafara and Mabvuku, but it did not spead beyond that area. This time, the outbreak started in Dzivaresekwa, where the majority of the 30 patients come from. On December 9 patients from Kuwadzana, Highfield, Hatfield, Waterfalls and Mufakose arrived at the hospital.
Women, many with small children, are the worst affected by the disease, occupying three of the four isolation rooms. New cases are being reported every day and local staff members are working hard to cope with the influx.
Foreign helpers, such as Médecins Sans Frontières, have been focusing their efforts on combating the spread of the disease, but the wide distribution that has been noted so far suggests a rapid outbreak that might prove difficult to stem.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis