Cholera intervention in Kashmir coming to a close

The following update was reported this week by MSF as part of its regular email update, Over and Out:

The MSF-Holland response to the cholera outbreak in Kashmir, Pakistan that started at the end of July is about to come to an end. The cholera treatment centre (CTC), set up on the Muzafarrabad hospital grounds, has been handed over to Merlin, a British relief agency that is also active in Pakistani administered Kashmir. The cholera treatment unit (CTU) of the Hattian hospital will now be integrated in the regular hospital activities.

On July 28th patients started arriving at the MSF hospital in Hattian and mid August, the first patients with similar symptoms were admitted in the MSF hospital in Muzafarrabad. In all locations, an isolation ward was quickly established within the hospital structure, before being moved to a specialized treatment unit or centre on the hospital grounds. In total, 731 people were treated. One person died.

Current (MSF) activities in the earthquake region are now limited to water and sanitation activities in two displacement camps around Muzafarrabad, that are to be connected to the public water system. In Hattian, an MSF-Holland team is running a paediatric ward; this ward will be handed over to the Ministry of Health by November.