A total of 170 people are currently receiving treatment for diarrhea at Yangon General Hospital as of August 12, with 93 of them testing positive for cholera, according to Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu, a Yangon Region Hluttaw representative for Latha Township in Yangon Region, who spoke at around 6:30 p.m. on August 12.
On August 11, 97 people from several townships in the Yangon Region were admitted to Yangon General Hospital for diarrhea. An additional 84 patients were admitted on August 12, Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu said.
Of the 97 patients admitted on August 11, 11 recovered and were discharged from the hospital on August 12, she added.
“There are 93 patients who tested positive for cholera. There have been no deaths,” Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu said.
In Latha Township, 16 diarrhea cases were recorded on August 11, while another 13 cases were reported on August 12. Four of the newly identified patients tested positive for cholera, according to Daw Aye Mya Thae Phyu.
Patients who test positive for cholera are being kept in a separate ward at Yangon General Hospital and are receiving careful treatment with disinfectants and appropriate medications, she said.
She added that preparations have also been made to accommodate additional cholera patients if their numbers increase. A new ward at Yangon General Hospital has been equipped with beds and disinfected in advance for this purpose.
As soon as the diarrhea outbreak was identified in Latha Township, meetings were held with relevant departments, municipal authorities, the Myanmar Red Cross, ward administrators and Hluttaw representatives. Following the meetings, shops selling homemade pickles, salads, skewered foods and other items that could contribute to the spread of diarrhea were asked to suspend operations for about two to three days.
In addition, disinfection has been carried out at and around homes where diarrhea or cholera cases have been identified. In cooperation with the Yangon City Development Committee, inspections have also been conducted to ensure the cleanliness of water pipes as part of efforts to maintain water sanitation.
