Cholera outbreak in Kota Belud kampung

The cases of cholera has
been linked to villagers
using untreated water.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

KOTA BELUD: A t least 3 cases of cholera have been confirmed in  Kg Pantai Mas in Tempasuk near here.

Suspicion of cases of cholera at the seaside kampung started a week ago when signs of it were detected by the district hospital.

FMT learned that the  villagers in Pantai Mas were furious because the outbreak partly stemmed from lack of supply of treated water. Most of them still used untreated water from traditional wells as well as deep-bored holes .

A man who only wanted to be known as Sabli told FMT that the kampung has been waiting for water supply for ages and that pipes actually had already been laid in the kampung areas for quite some time but that there is no water until now.

“Villagers were forced to get water from wells and even rain(water) . This cannot go on forever,” he said.

It was also learned that officers of the district health office have been scurrying to Pantai Mas in  the past few days and that laboratory tests showed traces of the cholera bacteria, vibrio cholera.

Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan  recently pledged to solve the problem in six months time.

His pledge was however met with skepticism by opposition leaders especially by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) local leader, Peter Marajin, who took Rahman to task for repeating what was pledged five years ago at the last general election in 2008.