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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Masvingo prisons are safe from cholera, which has so far claimed 32 lives and infected about 5 000 people mostly in Harare, a senior prison officer has said.

Masvingo Officer Commanding Senior Assistant Commissioner Social Ndanga said there were no cases of cholera so far and the authorities were on high alert.

“Since the reports of a holera outbreak in Harare at the beginning of the month, we have not yet reported any case of the water-borne disease at our prisons,” said Snr Asst Comm Ndanga.

He said the environmental health officers within the organisation were helping inmates with information on the importance of keeping their environment    clean.

“We have about 1 200 prison inmates across all prisons in Masvingo which are Chiredzi, Masvingo Remand, Mutimurefu prisons and other satellite prisons in Chivi, Mwenezi, Zaka and Gutu.

“We have health workers who help inmates maintain hygiene in prisons and that has kept water- borne diseases at bay.

“Any suspected case of cholera or typhoid is quickly reported and the situation is managed on time.

“We are, however, not leaving anything to chance, in our quest to protect our inmates and even prison officers from contracting cholera or typhoid,” he said.

Typhoid has also claimed 11 lives in Gweru since August while over 1 500 cases were confirmed.

Masvingo provincial medical director Dr Amadeaus Shamu urged residents in the city to maintain a high degree of hygiene and to boil borehole water.

“We are happy that there has not been any confirmed case of cholera in the province so far apart from two cases -one fatal – which were imported from Harare.

“However, we urge residents who use borehole water to first boil it before use as there are chances that it may be contaminated,” said Dr Shamu.

“We know that most people think borehole is safe to drink. Those who can afford (to boil), can use aqua tablets,” said Dr Shamu.