The Menyamya District of Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea is currently being hit with a deadly strain of Dysentery and Flu. Whilst the world remains focused on Swine Flu and WHO declaring a level 6 pandemic – well over 100 locals from Menyamya District have died from Flu and Dysentery type symptoms within the past month.
Interestingly, I just did a quick search on Google to try and find references to what is happening and other than the local PNG media I was not able to find any mention of the situation in Menyamya. I believe that WHO has already visited the District to assess the situation but each day that I pickup the newspaper – more and more deaths are being reported. Today’s headlines report 177 deaths (see below) so far within the past month. I’m curious why it is that the situation has not attracted more attention by the world press. Yesterday, I had lunch with a visiting Rotarian from Australia whom had not heard anything at all about this story. Why?
A couple of weeks ago when the death toll had reached the 70 mark – the local press reported that the Morobe Provincial Health Authorities were closely monitoring the situation and were in constant contact with the locals to try and establish the cause the fatalities. (I’m not aware that an Infectious Disease specialist was stationed out at Menyamya at the time). In fact today’s press reported that a State of Emergency has not yet been declared. How many people have to die before the Menyamya people get the attention and help that they urgently need.
Where is Menyamya by the way? A quick search on Google Maps…
Aseki is located in the Menyamya District
And what is Dysentery? A quick search on Wikipeadia…
Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is a disorder of the digestive system that results in severe diarrhoea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal. Symptoms of dysentery include frequent passage of faeces and, in some cases, vomiting of blood. The frequency of urges to defecate, the volume of feces passed, and the presence of mucus and/or blood depends on the parasite that is causing the disease. Once recovery starts, early re-feeding is advocated, avoiding foods containing lactose due to temporary lactose intolerance, which can persist for years.
Here’s the story as it appeared in today’s issue of The National:
“Death toll at 177“
Story by: PISAI GUMAR
THE number of deaths in Menyamya from dysentery and flu has now risen to 177.
As the death toll continues to climb, the Morobe provincial government and the National Government have so far not moved to declare an emergency in the area.
The Opposition yesterday criticised the Government for “dragging its feet” over what appears to be an emergency situation in this remote part of Morobe and Gulf province.
“We have a very critical situation here, people’s lives have been lost, yet the Government has not announced a response plan. It is indecisive and showing lack of cohesion,” a senior Opposition official said last night. A senior Department of Health official said yesterday a surveillance team would be dispatched on Friday into the area, and their report would determine the Government’s response to this situation.
The toll is from seven of the 11 villages in the affected area of the district.
Menyamya’s Kome LLG council manager Desmond Timiyaso said yesterday that health workers had returned to the station from the seven villages with the statistics.
He said the workers also diagnosed 3,315 who had dysentery and flu.
Mr Timiyaso is grimly expecting the number to increase when the health staff sent into Katanga-Wawaka, Wiyama, Angaibu and Lagai villages return today.
Mr Timiyaso and Menyamya health centre Health Extension Officer (HEO) Bina David said they submitted statistics to Morobe provincial health adviser Dr Likei Theo yesterday.
He said there were many villages that were affected.
“The epidemic continues to spread over villages and hamlets killing many people,” he said.
“Because of lack of manpower, we cannot reach out to all the villages. We are visiting the densely populated villages. Not hamlets.”
He said they were receiving reports from remote hamlets but were finding it difficult to confirm.
Angau Memorial Hospital’s Dr Jack Matrus was in the area on patrol but is now believed to be heading the medical relief assistance in the remote Wawaka village of Wapi LLG.
Menyamya MP Benjamin Philip and provincial administrator Kemas Tomala and acting deputy administrator, district services, Bart Ipambonj will fly in today to visit the area.
This is just about the only info on Menyamya that the world,or most probably nobody except the author, knows about the plight of the poor Menyamyans. Worst affected in Menyamya was a highly densely populated area, Hakwange in the Kome LLG. To date, they have been political victims. Two-thirds of the overall deaths came from said area.
Is their someone out their who will come to the aid of these political victims for two decades?
If their is contact me on (675) 7177 2602 or my email (rsjon500@gmail.com).
Cheers!
Robin Sakaneh John