Kabaya Hospital in Ngororero District, Western Province has launched a campaign against intestinal worms. Alain Kamate, a medical practitioner at the hospital, said infections related to intestinal worms rank highly among diseases registered at the hospital, standing at about 7 per cent. “We receive between 10 and 20 case weekly,” he said on Tuesday. Kamate was addressing officials from the Ministry of Health who are currently on countrywide tour of health facilities. Pascal Kasereka, also a medical practitioner at the hospital, said children under the age of five are the most susceptible, with ascariasis and amoeba the most common abdominal worms. “The high prevalence is attributed to poor hygiene. Some people have not mustered the use of boiling drinking water despite sensitisation,” Kasereka said. Clemence Mukantwari, a data manager at the hospital, said the number of patients with abdominal worms had dropped from 170 in 2012 to 126 in 2013. Jean Bizimana, the head of monitoring and evaluation department, said 96 per cent of children targeted under the age of five benefited from Albendazole tablets (deworming drugs) in March 2013. As part of the campaign, Kamate said residents are given a water purifier every month at any of the four health centres in their zone and encouraged to boil water before drinking. “Our medical team is enough. We have about nine general doctors who can handle these cases,” Kamate said. Kasereka said about 95 per cent of the residents had health insurance which makes it easier to extend medical care. He, however, noted that some residents resort to unclean water as they avoid travelling for long distances to get safe water which exposes them to diseases. “We at times receive patients from neighbouring districts like Nyabihu and Rubavu who do not have health insurance and this strains the hospital financially. It is hard to follow them up because of distance,” Kasereka added. He said they also take advantage of Umuganda (community work) which takes place once every month, to clean water sources. Jean Baptiste Karamira, the hospital administrator, said each of the 201 villages in the district, has three community health workers who sensitise residents on safe water use and sanitation.
