More than 70 patients have been admitted to Akwichatis Dispensary in Tiaty subcounty, Baringo, after eating meat of an infected camel, as drought takes a heavy toll on the county.
It is reported Pokot residents gathered to slaughter the sickly camel in Cheptuimet village on Thursday. Serious diarrhoea cases were reported among those who ate the meat.
Nurse in charge Paul Chebet said the patients complained of severe stomach pain and diarrhoea. He said they are out of danger. Chebet said they feared the condition could be an outbreak of a serious disease but later they learnt the victims had eaten infected meat.
“I have not slept for the last four days since the incident occurred, as the patients came in in droves until Saturday midnight,” he said. Chebet said the situation has been contained and no patient was referred to a bigger hospital.
He said he has discharged some patients. Chebet said the work was tiresome, as he is the only medic serving at the dispensary. “Although I had to engage some youths, it was still difficult dispensing medicine and nursing the patients alone,” he said.
The health officer urged residents to observe hygiene. Naudo chief David Arupe said the victims could not resist the temptation to eat the sick camel’s meat because of biting hunger.
“Residents lack food and clean drinking water. They couldn’t let such a chance pass by. They can consume anything, including uninspected carcasses,” he said.
Arupe said there are no public health officers hence, residents could not confirm whether the meat was safe. He said butcheries rely on officers from Chemolingot, 30km away.
The chief said residents usually eat emaciated animals during the dry season, but this time things unfortunately went wrong.
