Nurses and environmental health officers from eight provinces have volunteered their services to relieve exhausted health workers in KwaZulu-Natal, who since August have treated over 47 000 cases of cholera.
Addressing the health committee in parliament yesterday (Friday), health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the contingent, that would also include medical and support staff from the SA National Defence Force, would start arriving in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
Tshabalala-Msimang hastened to add that the deployment of volunteers, who would join 22 nurses from Gauteng, did not point towards a crisis. “The health workers are exhausted and we think it would be good if they had a two week break,” the minister said.
She said rehydration centres would be set up closer to the deep rural areas where deaths and new infections were still occurring because of the inaccessible terrain.
Business has also donated “tons” of rehydration fluid.
All the political parties at the meeting complimented government and the health department for the efficient manner in which they had handled the cholera outbreak.
Figures released by the minister showed a death rate of less than one percent (0,22%).
Since the outbreak, 47 558 people have been treated with 107 deaths reported.
“There is no doubt that cholera is as a result of lack of water supply and sanitation with close links to the levels of poverty,” Tshabalala-Msimang said. – www.health-e.org.za