(ERGO) – An unidentified disease has been spreading in Rako-Raho, Puntland’s Bari region, since early March, causing the local authorities and residents to be concerned.
The district administration told Radio Ergo that the disease had infected 387 people, with one death reported. Those affected include pastoralists and residents of the town and surrounding villages.
The district hospital lacks beds, staff, medicines, and laboratory equipment to cope. The hospital staff have not been paid for nearly two years and those who remain are volunteers doing their best.
Hoosh Mohamed Ali, 42, a father of six from Qalwo, 12 kilometres from Rako-Raho town, is among the victims. He described his symptoms, including shortness of breath, vomiting, dizziness, and constant headaches, which have left him unable to eat.
“The disease has kept me down for seven days. I have a fever, weakness, and no appetite. I force myself to drink camel’s milk. It’s a nightmare,” Hoosh said.
He sought help at the district hospital but received no diagnosis or treatment due to the hospital’s limited resources.
“The hospital staff hadn’t been paid, and most had left. There was no good medicine, and they couldn’t provide a comprehensive service for everyone who needed it,” Hoosh said.
Unable to afford travel for better healthcare, Hoosh resorted to traditional medicine. He described the illness as the worst he had experienced, affecting his livelihood.
“The economy is not good; we have no money. I’m a livestock herder, but drought destroyed our livelihood. I couldn’t go elsewhere for better health facilities,” he said.
Rako-Raho district hospital, serving over 10,000 people in the area, has seen its health services decline since the Shine project, supported by Save the Children and funded by the British government, ended three years ago.
The district health director, Fahimo Mohamed Hirsi, described the disease as causing high fever and leaving patients bedridden. The hospital lacks the resources to conduct test to identify it.
“First, the person gets cold-like symptoms with a very high fever. The person falls ill and becomes bedridden. The cold is a virus so antibiotics are not given. The disease has been in the town for a month and a half, affecting especially the elderly, pregnant mothers, and those with malnutrition,” Fahimo said.
The district hospital cannot admit the patients who are needing treatment, as the number of infected people continues to rise.
“Someone is admitted when you can treat and help them, but now we tell them to go home. There is no medicine, and the staff work on a voluntary basis. If you don’t have medicine, you can’t help the person even if you are the best doctor,” the district health director said.
