11 Nov 2010

PNG's Health Department confirm deaths were cholera-related symptoms

8:22 am on 11 November 2010

Papua New Guinea's National Health Department has confirmed more than a dozen people have died from cholera-related symptoms in Daru, the capital of Western Province.

A chartered flight with urgently needed medical supplies reached the island yesterday.

More than 200 people have sought treatment at Daru Hospital, with 65 people admitted.

A team from Port Moresby, including World Health Organisation and AusAid staff are due to arrive on the island to assess the situation and provide support to those on the ground.

Papua New Guinea's Public Health executive director, Enoch Posanai, says the hospital is in need of medical supplies because of shipping problems.

"We've been given the list of the urgent medical supplies that they need from here, IV fluids and water purification and so on"

Papua New Guinea's Public Health executive director, Enoch Posanai.

Daru is now Papua New Guinea's eighth area hit by cholera since the disease was first reported in Wau in Morobe Province more than a year ago.