By Linda Soko Tembo

The cholera outbreak in Zambia has taken a severe toll, with over 3,000 cases and 116 fatalities reported since January 2023, according to the Ministry of Health.

As the rains intensify, the Ministry struggles to cope, leading to patients sharing bed spaces, spending nights on chairs and floors in certain cholera centres, as established by MakanDay.

A previous MakanDay report on the ongoing cholera outbreak in Lusaka and throughout Zambia, marked by deaths and hospital admissions, highlighted significant concerns regarding inequality and emphasised the urgent need for more robust social development initiatives.

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Health Minister Sylvia Masebo, in a briefing on December 31, 2023, revealed a concerning snapshot: 203 new cases, 11 deaths, and 86 recoveries within the past 24 hours.

Furthermore, she noted that Lusaka Province documented 198 fresh cases, 76 discharges, and currently has 284 individuals under admission.

MakanDay’s visit to Kanyama cholera treatment centre on December 30 unveiled the dire situation. Patients, both critical and non-critical, shared beds due to capacity constraints.

Among them was Mumi Macwani, a 32-year-old salesman at City Market, who described his challenging experience and the overcrowded conditions.

Macwani recounted that he began feeling unwell while working at the market. Recognising the severity of his condition, he decided to stop working and headed home to Kanyama. Over the past two days, he had been experiencing frequent vomiting and diarrhoea before eventually seeking medical assistance at the facility.

“I had no bed initially since they were all occupied, so they provided me with a chair to sit on until the time of my discharge. Fortunately, I was discharged around 18:00 hours,” he recalled.

Moreover, during his time at the centre, he witnessed more than 50 patients, with additional arrivals, including approximately 12 children. Because the beds were fully occupied, certain individuals had to be redirected to the Chawama cholera centre.

Macwani detailed that each patient was given a bucket in case of vomiting. However, in the male ward where he was located, there was only one available toilet. As a result, a queue formed among the patients in need of restroom facilities.

His account highlights the struggle for admission, with no available beds for most patients.

Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital faces a similar predicament, and is operating at full capacity. The facility, initially designated for critical cases involving pregnant women, children, and individuals with underlying health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, among others, had to accommodate even those without specific medical conditions.

“Centres like Kanyama and George have reached full capacity, forcing the transfer of patients to Levy, which is also strained by an overwhelming number of cases,” the source disclosed. “As of December 29, 2023, approximately 15 patients were transferred from various centres to Levy, bringing the total number of patients in the facility to 81, including about 24 children.”

As per the source, initially, the children had to share beds due to overcrowding, but the situation improved slightly after a few discharges, enabling the remaining patients to have individual beds.

The source emphasised the urgent need for additional cholera centres and urged the government to consider this as a crucial step in managing the escalating endemic situation.

Expressing dismay at the staggering 51 cases reported in areas like Kanyama, the source underscored the critical need for immediate action.

“It is disheartening to witness the increasing pressure on a limited number of centres as cases continue to rise. Our efforts seem inadequate as severely ill patients are compelled to share beds, compromising the quality of care they need. Additionally, comprehensive community sanitation campaigns, emphasising cleanliness, are imperative,” explained the source.