A diarrhea outbreak is affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mung Na St. Joseph RC IDP camp in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State due to contaminated drinking water and unhygienic toilets.
The IDP camp’s deputy in-charge Daw La Zwam Zay Naw said the IDPs are suffering from diarrhea after drinking wells have been contaminated with the infiltration of water from dirty ponds in the monsoon.
“It has been raining constantly these days so the rainwater seeps into the earth and it has probably infiltrated the ponds that are used [by the IDPs]. The number of IDPs has increased recently so there are not enough toilets. All of them live together and use the same toilets. They probably don’t clean them well,” she said.
A total of 1,840 people are living in Mung Na Catholic IDP camp and the number of people suffering from diarrhea has increased in the monsoon compared to last year.
Some of the patients are receiving medical treatments at the clinic from the IDP camp and some of them are receiving medical treatments from private clinics.
The camp’s health officer Daw Khin Mar Moe said the camp’s clinic receives an average of 50-60 patients per day.
“We are treating an average of 50 to 60 patients per day including children and adults at the clinic. We are only at the clinic during the daytime. Sometimes we have to stay after dark. The patients go to private clinics when they become ill at night. We are also treating the patients who have received medical treatments from private clinics,”
