Dr. Ejikeme Okonkwo, the Chief Medical Director of Diocesan Hospital in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, has expressed deep concern about the potential outbreak of epidemics in a slum community near Onitsha due to the deplorable sanitary conditions prevailing there.
He issued a warning that unless deliberate efforts are made to improve the community’s sanitation, its residents could face the grim prospect of deadly epidemics.
Dr. Okonkwo sounded this alarm during a two-day free medical outreach organized for the community’s residents by former Ogbaru Federal Constituency lawmaker Chukwuma Onyema, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and Niphemy Solutions Limited.
Speaking to journalists during the outreach, the CMD emphasized that the high population density in the area could facilitate the rapid spread of epidemics. He noted that the residents mainly presented cases of malaria and typhoid fever, primarily attributed to the presence of stagnant water, which breeds mosquitoes, and the unsanitary state of local markets.
Dr. Okonkwo urged both the federal and state governments to take immediate action to prevent an outbreak of epidemics and improve the living conditions of the community. He emphasized the urgent need to clean up Okpoko, ensuring the free flow of stagnant gutters and sanitizing local markets.
He also stressed the importance of addressing residents’ nutrition and feeding concerns, as many of them were unable to access medical treatment and had resorted to seeking assistance from unqualified sources.
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