Mariental health threat

TWO days after the weekend’s devastating floods, health inspectors at Mariental already have their hands full trying to keep the situation at the town in check.

Some shops were reported to be giving away water-damaged food to residents, with no checks whether the food was still fit for human consumption. At the same time, streams of people are starting to flock to the town to render assistance, some donating food that health inspectors say should first be checked before being distributed.”We might have to deal with food poisoning on top of everything else,” said Andrew Titus of the Ministry of Health, who formed part of the weekend’s rescue operations.”It’s recommended that health inspectors classify this food before it’s made available for human consumption,” Titus said.He pointed out that selling, displaying or handing out contaminated food was prohibited by law, and those who do so could find themselves in trouble with the law.The Ministry was also looking into the safety of the town’s water supply, he said.The health team at Mariental was just waiting for sterile bottles so that they could take samples of the town’s tap water.”Floodwater might have entered the water pipes and the damaged sewerage system might also have mixed [sewage] with the drinking water.”He said people should boil water before drinking or cooking with it.Spoilt food, dead animals and the damaged sewage system that the flood left in its wake could attract flies and lead to water- and sewage-borne diseases, while stagnant water pools provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.”Luckily we’re not in a malaria-prone area,” Titus said.The Namibia Pig Farm outside Mariental has already begun emitting a foul odour.Manager Solomon Nemaire says the estimated 1 000 pigs that drowned have been buried in a ditch near the farm, but the sewage system there has been totally destroyed.Earlier, Hardap Regional Governor Katrina Hanse called on affected residents to give an estimate of the damage to their properties, which would help in the decision on whether or not to declare Mariental and its surrounds a disaster zone.Nemaire said yesterday that the damage suffered by the pig farm wold not be less than N$2,2 million.”I’m not talking about the pigs, just the equipment, slurry dams and the machines,” he said.He said operations resumed at the farm on Tuesday and insurance assessors were expected to make an estimate of the damage yesterday.The Mariental Clinic also started operating again on Tuesday, and residents were informed at a town meeting that people in need of chronic medication could get it from the clinic.At the same time, streams of people are starting to flock to the town to render assistance, some donating food that health inspectors say should first be checked before being distributed.”We might have to deal with food poisoning on top of everything else,” said Andrew Titus of the Ministry of Health, who formed part of the weekend’s rescue operations.”It’s recommended that health inspectors classify this food before it’s made available for human consumption,” Titus said.He pointed out that selling, displaying or handing out contaminated food was prohibited by law, and those who do so could find themselves in trouble with the law.The Ministry was also looking into the safety of the town’s water supply, he said.The health team at Mariental was just waiting for sterile bottles so that they could take samples of the town’s tap water.”Floodwater might have entered the water pipes and the damaged sewerage system might also have mixed [sewage] with the drinking water.” He said people should boil water before drinking or cooking with it.Spoilt food, dead animals and the damaged sewage system that the flood left in its wake could attract flies and lead to water- and sewage-borne diseases, while stagnant water pools provide an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.”Luckily we’re not in a malaria-prone area,” Titus said.The Namibia Pig Farm outside Mariental has already begun emitting a foul odour.Manager Solomon Nemaire says the estimated 1 000 pigs that drowned have been buried in a ditch near the farm, but the sewage system there has been totally destroyed.Earlier, Hardap Regional Governor Katrina Hanse called on affected residents to give an estimate of the damage to their properties, which would help in the decision on whether or not to declare Mariental and its surrounds a disaster zone.Nemaire said yesterday that the damage suffered by the pig farm wold not be less than N$2,2 million.”I’m not talking about the pigs, just the equipment, slurry dams and the machines,” he said.He said operations resumed at the farm on Tuesday and insurance assessors were expected to make an estimate of the damage yesterday.The Mariental Clinic also started operating again on Tuesday, and residents were informed at a town meeting that people in need of chronic medication could get it from the clinic.