AFTER two days of tirelessly searching for their older sister who was admitted on Wednesday at Heroes Stadium – that is being used as a cholera treatment centre – two sisters found out that she succumbed to the waterborne disease.
Enveloped by utter grief, the two sisters sat on a lawn outside the sports facility and cried about her death.
They had actually carried some food for her but it was not to be – her name was on the list of those who died on Thursday.
Since its outbreak in October last year, cholera, whose epicentre is Lusaka, has killed more than 360 people.
Government has since constituted a multi-sectoral team that is working day and night to contain the fast-killing disease.
The two sisters, who requested Kalemba not to reveal their identity, said they suspected that their 51 year old sister contracted cholera when she started vomiting.
“I just received a call that my elder sister was sick and I immediately rushed to her home.
“When I got there, I found she was very sick and she told me that her legs were in pain. We took her to the hospital where she started vomiting from,” narrated one of the sisters.
“They took some tests of her, and she was tested positive for cholera.”
According to them, the deceased tested positive for cholera at Kanyama Level One Hospital and was taken to National Heroes Stadium around 14:00 hours on Wednesday.
They said they never got a chance to meet her from the time she was admitted to the facility since visitations are not allowed.
However, on Friday the duo got a chance to intensify the search for their older sister.
“We looked for her everywhere in the beds.
“But she was no where. It was until we asked an officer to check for us in the book of the deceased and we found her name, stating that she died yesterday (Thursday). We were then taken to confirm the body and it was indeed her,” they narrated with palpable emotions.
The deceased left four children behind and, as per the cholera regulations, was buried by government agencies, with a few family members as witnesses.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba January 14, 2024
