By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The cholera death toll has now risen to 32 after a woman from Parys, Free State, succumbed to the waterborne disease.
The Free State Department of Health identified the deceased as a 42-year-old female, who was admitted at Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad.
Free State Health Department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi said, “the 42-year-old female was admitted at Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad”.
“The patient is confirmed to have died and thereafter laboratory tests confirmed that the death is attributable to cholera, said Mvambi.”
Last month, a 33-year-old woman from Vredefort died in the Parys Hospital as a result of the waterborne disease.
The Free State Health MEC, Mathabo Leeto, has sent her condolences to the family, while the officials from her department visited the family yesterday to break the news.
“The department would like to take this opportunity to urge the public to believe information about causes of death that are confirmed by laboratory tests and not opinions that are not scientifically supported by facts.”
Meanwhile, the national Health Department said that in just five months, the country had recorded 166 laboratory-confirmed cases and 202 suspected cases of cholera in five provinces.
Gauteng remains the epicentre, accounting for 152 cases.
Authorities are yet to find the source of the outbreak, despite dozens of water samples being tested.
The Department continues to make a clarion call for all people to continue washing their hands and boiling water before they can consume it. If anyone experiences any slight symptoms of diarrhoea, they must please go to our health facilities to get help as a matter of urgency.