“The population as a whole is seriously threatened,” warns MP LR Mansour Kamardine

A three-year-old child died of cholera in Mayotte on Wednesday.

“The population as a whole is seriously threatened” by the cholera epidemic, alert Thursday May 9 on franceinfo Mansour Kamardine, member of the Republicans of Mayotte, while a three-year-old child died of the disease on Wednesday. If this is the first death linked to cholera in this French department, it remains “the first case too many” for the elected official from Mahor.

According to the latest report from the regional health agency, as of May 6, 58 cases of cholera have been identified in Mayotte. Mansour Kamardine explains that these patients “concentrate exclusively in the commune of Koungou, which is more closely related to arrivals from the Comoros”where the first cases came from.

4,000 people vaccinated

Faced with the surge in cases, “the authorities acted”, recognizes MP LR. He mentions in particular the creation “a reception unit at the Mayotte hospital center in Mamoudzou and another at the Dzoumogné medical center”, but emphasizes the fact that these units have “quickly overwhelmed” by the influx of patients. He therefore calls for massive vaccination on the island. Currently, more than 4,000 people have been vaccinated, according to the ARS. But for Mansour Kamardine, “It is off the mark”given that the island has several hundred thousand inhabitants. “It’s cat pee.”, he is indignant. The elected official considers, for example, that “the Koungou scale would require at least 30,000” vaccinated people.

This epidemic also risks undermining the Mahorean health system, already exhausted. Mansour Kamardine even speaks of “medical desert”. He cites the case of the emergency department of the Mayotte hospital center, where 5 out of 44 positions are filled. He recalls that a “second hospital has been promised since 2019” but that he “didn’t even come out of the ground today.” “There is everything to do”says the elected official from Mahor.

The absence of “sanitation”

Mansour Kamardine therefore expects from the government a “real consideration of the situation”. He says he has for the moment “the strong and unpleasant feeling that the government is singing about mobilization, but is not mobilizing”. He therefore hopes that “special means” will be announced, in particular during the visit this Thursday by Minister Delegate for Health Frédéric Valletoux. “He must realize the seriousness of the situation”insists MP LR.

The Mayotte MP calls for more “human and medical resources, in particular vaccines“, but also “more water”. The department has in fact been facing a serious shortage of drinking water for several months. “We have access to water two days out of three while the best treatment against cholera is hygiene,” he castigates. Mansour Kamardine also regrets the absence “sanitation”, and emphasizes that he already had “make the request” few years ago.