Al-Mazroub, June 30 (Darfur24)
At least 16 people have died and nearly 300 others have contracted cholera in Al-Mazroub, North Kordofan State, since the outbreak began earlier this month, as health workers warn of acute shortages of intravenous fluids, medicines and medical supplies.
The outbreak is part of a wider cholera epidemic affecting several areas of North and West Kordofan. The Fuga area in Al-Nuhud locality has been among the hardest hit, with at least 80 reported deaths before the disease spread to other localities, including Al-Mazroub.
A nurse working at the isolation center at Al-Mazroub Hospital told Darfur24 that the death toll had reached 16, including one patient who died on Monday.
She said approximately 300 confirmed cases had been recorded as of June 29, with the outbreak having begun on June 2. The health situation, she added, continues to deteriorate, with new infections being reported every day.
According to the nurse, the isolation center registered 49 new cholera cases on Monday alone. Around 80 patients are currently receiving treatment at the center, whose limited capacity has forced medical staff to accommodate some patients outside the wards while they await beds.
She warned that supplies of intravenous fluids and essential medicines are insufficient to meet the growing number of cases, despite efforts by the Ministry of Health and local residents to contain the outbreak.
“There are intensive efforts to control the epidemic, but the scale of infections and suffering is far greater than the resources currently available in terms of medicines and intravenous fluids,” she said.