Luanda: A patient in the municipality of Quilengues, Hula Province, died from cholera after her family forcibly removed her from a cholera treatment center and took her to a church, where her condition worsened. Upon her return to the treatment center, she was already without vital signs.
According to Angola Press News Agency, this incident marks the first case of its kind resulting in a cholera-related death. The woman's age has not been disclosed. The event highlights a troubling pattern in Hula, with a total of 43 out-of-hospital deaths out of 50 registered since the onset of the disease in January.
Paulo Luvangamo, the director of the Provincial Health Office in Hula, explained that the family removed the woman from the specialized center on Tuesday, despite her severe dehydration. They believed taking her to a church might help, but she did not survive. Luvangamo acknowledged that the health center's team shares some responsibility for yielding to the family's pressure, emphasizing the duty of health professionals to ensure treatment.
Luvangamo warned families against relying on church or traditional therapies for cholera treatment, stressing the importance of hydration. He cited cultural practices as a hindrance to effective treatment, referencing a recent outbreak linked to a female puberty initiation ceremony, called "efiko," in Gambos.
In the past 24 hours, 24 new cholera cases were reported, 11 of which were connected to an efiko ceremony in Quipungo, where preventive measures like consuming treated water and hand washing were neglected. Luvangamo noted that these cases stem from negligence, as the disease had been previously controlled in the province.
Currently, Hula has recorded a cumulative total of 3,157 cholera cases, resulting in 60 deaths.
