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Malaria On The Rise In Kisii, Medic Says

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Published on Friday, 06 July 2007 17:37
Malaria has claimed 109 lives at Kisii General Hospital in the last three months, according to the Medical Hospital Superintendent. Those who were admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with malaria fever in the same period were 2,030, he added.

The hospital Superintendent Dr Julius Ogato said the month of January was the leading with 38 deaths, followed by February with 34 and March with 27. Dr Ogato said the hospital expects malaria cases to be on the rise, following the arrival of the long rains.


Dr Ogato said chloroquine medicine was still in use despite a government ban, only upon prescription by a qualified doctor. "Chloroquine is only prescribed to a patient by a qualified doctor. The medicine has not been removed from the hospital shelves," said Dr Ogato.

Dr Ogato said the hospital had enough drugs to last for two weeks, adding that he expected another consignment from Nairobi. The medic added that typhoid cases were on the rise in the month of February and March, because people were consuming contaminated water.

Meanwhile, leaders from the malaria prone areas have been asked to sensitise wananchi on preventive measures against the disease to avoid epidemics.


The call was made by an Assistant Minister for Local Government, Mr. Joseph Kiangoi, when he addressed locational leaders from Ekerenyo and Nyamusi Division of Nyamira district at Nyamusi DO's office yesterday.

Mr. Kiangoi said that Malaria was a preventable disease which should not lead to epidemics.

He announced that a major funds drive will soon be organised to equip public health facilities in his North Mugirango constituency, where cases of malaria are rampant.