Six new suspected meningitis cases in the North

NINE people with suspected meningitis are reportedly being treated at the Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital, The Namibian has learnt from reliable sources

Health authorities did not want to confirm or deny the report yesterday. “What I am sure of is, that apart from the three old cases that were reported in Onandjokwe hospital earlier, there are six new cases, but there might be more than that even,” said a source.Another reliable source who informed The Namibian about the new cases could not say which villages the patients were from.”Yes, I received a report of alleged new meningitis cases at Onandjokwe, but I was also informed that these alleged cases of meningitis have still to be investigated and verified to determine whether they are really meningitis or not,” the Permanent Secretary of Health, Kahijoro Kahuure, told The Namibian late yesterday afternoon.When approached for comment, hospital superintendent Dr Fillemon Amaambo told The Namibian that he was busy with a meeting.The matron of the hospital, Monika Shilongo, referred the reporter to the Onandjokwe Hospital’s chief administrator, Julius Mtuleni, and the control register nurse, Penina Akudhenga.Both of these officials referred questions to the Director of Health, Maria Kavezimbi, who in turn referred the reporter to the Permanent Secretary of Health and Social Services.Last Wednesday, the Regional Councillor of Eengodi Constituency, Walde Sheyavali, announced on the NBC’s Oshiwambo radio service that several cases of the disease had been reported at Onamakulikwa and Ohambala villages in Eengodi Constituency that week and that he had asked the Onandjokwe health workers to go and familiarise themselves with the situation.At that time Matron Shilongo at the Onandjokwe hospital said they were treating children from Onamakulikwa, Ohambala, Onkumbula and Ohashipepe villages for meningitis.She said a boy, Lukas Akapa from Omakunde village, died of the disease at the beginning of last month.Matron Shilongo also said then that health workers had been sent to those villages to investigate the disease and give information to the villagers.Regional Health Director Kavezimbi had confirmed to The Namibian that three children were then being treated for meningitis at the Onandjokwe Hospital.”What I am sure of is, that apart from the three old cases that were reported in Onandjokwe hospital earlier, there are six new cases, but there might be more than that even,” said a source.Another reliable source who informed The Namibian about the new cases could not say which villages the patients were from.”Yes, I received a report of alleged new meningitis cases at Onandjokwe, but I was also informed that these alleged cases of meningitis have still to be investigated and verified to determine whether they are really meningitis or not,” the Permanent Secretary of Health, Kahijoro Kahuure, told The Namibian late yesterday afternoon. When approached for comment, hospital superintendent Dr Fillemon Amaambo told The Namibian that he was busy with a meeting.The matron of the hospital, Monika Shilongo, referred the reporter to the Onandjokwe Hospital’s chief administrator, Julius Mtuleni, and the control register nurse, Penina Akudhenga.Both of these officials referred questions to the Director of Health, Maria Kavezimbi, who in turn referred the reporter to the Permanent Secretary of Health and Social Services.Last Wednesday, the Regional Councillor of Eengodi Constituency, Walde Sheyavali, announced on the NBC’s Oshiwambo radio service that several cases of the disease had been reported at Onamakulikwa and Ohambala villages in Eengodi Constituency that week and that he had asked the Onandjokwe health workers to go and familiarise themselves with the situation.At that time Matron Shilongo at the Onandjokwe hospital said they were treating children from Onamakulikwa, Ohambala, Onkumbula and Ohashipepe villages for meningitis.She said a boy, Lukas Akapa from Omakunde village, died of the disease at the beginning of last month.Matron Shilongo also said then that health workers had been sent to those villages to investigate the disease and give information to the villagers.Regional Health Director Kavezimbi had confirmed to The Namibian that three children were then being treated for meningitis at the Onandjokwe Hospital.