18 Nov 2010

Cholera deaths in PNG believed to be about 100 says local priest

9:42 am on 18 November 2010

A priest in Papua New Guinea believes the number of deaths from the cholera outbreak in Daru has risen to about 100.

The Post Courier reports Father, Vinod D'Mello, says more people are continuing to die because many villages are in isolated islands far from the nearest health facility.

The paper says it could not confirm the figures with the Health Department.

But Father Vinod says while the hospital had recorded 33 deaths, the number of dead is closer to 100 because other people had died in their homes on the islands.

He says the Government and its partners are doing what they can, but it will be some time before the situation is brought under control due to the poor conditions in which many people live.

The Post Courier says a second load of emergency medical supplies was flown to Daru on Tuesday from Port Moresby through a joint effort of AusAID, the World Health Organisation and the Health Department.