One hundred students and their teacher from Chetoto Primary School in the outskirts of Kitale town have been hospitalized at Kitale Level Four Hospital after developing health complications-diarrhoea and vomiting- after taking infected water
Speaking to press at the hospital facility, acting medical
superintendent of the facility Dr. Lilian Lipesa said the students are
being treated of diarrhoea, and that their health is stable and they’ll be
discharged, with several treatment follow-ups to be conducted at home.
She, however, refuted claims of a cholera outbreak as it was intimated by some people, saying preliminary results had indicated the contrary and urged residents to remain calm. Dr. Lipesa has assured the families of the affected children that their health is stable. She urged the locals to observe a high level of cleanliness and use boiled water as a way of disease prevention.
Her sentiments were echoed by public health officer Stanley Kibo who
said the hospital has dispatched some health officers to try and
teach locals the importance of hygiene with several precautions in
mind including chlorination of water as well as giving necessary education to the locals on keeping the environment conservation and cleanliness.
Earlier, parents had rushed to the school immediately they got the information and several of them accompanied their kids to the hospital.
Several of them had expressed fears of a cholera outbreak in the school. “We want to be told why the administration has allowed the existence of sewage near this school, which has caused this infection,” said one agitated parent. They have however appealed to the administration to make sure the sewage line, as well as sewage near the school, are done away with to prevent further problems.