9 July 2004
THE ministry of Health says the 22 villagers who were bitten by a rabid hyena in Chipata over the long weekend are being treated at no cost.
Central Board of Health (CBoH) spokesperson Victor Mukonka who confirmed the development in an interview in Lusaka yesterday said the ministry of Health procured an anti-rabies vaccine for the victims immediately after the attack.
Dr Mukonka was reacting to reports that the 22 had been asked to pay K35,000 each for treatment.
He said all the 22 have since received treatment and that no one had shown signs of rabies.
"I can confirm that the ministry of Health procured anti-rabies vaccines for the victims who were attacked by the hyena and all are being attended to at no fee.
"Reports that they were being asked to pay K35,000 each are not true," he said.
Dr Mukonka said that of the 22, four were admitted in the town's general hospital and one has since been discharged.
He also said the ministry of Health had been working with veterinary officers to ensure that the victims were attended to thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Digital Solutions Company Limited of Lusaka has offered to assist victims who were attacked over the long weekend by a suspected rabid hyena.
Radius Digital Solutions General Manager Simon Longwani said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the company was ready to pay for 16 of the victims.
Mr Longwani said his organisation was not blaming the hospital but was just trying to help the victims.
One woman was killed and 20 wounded after being attacked by a suspected rabid hyena at Simoni village in Paramount Chief Mpezeni's area in Chipata on Monday.
Meanwhile, Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has attributed the behaviour of the hyena to severe sickness.
ZAWA public relations officer Maureen Mwape said in an interview yesterday that the hyena was a shy animal which was very scared of human beings and ruled out witchcraft.
"The most possible explanation is that the hyena was severely rabid. It could have first started attacking livestock in that village and when owners went to the rescue, it turned on them," she said.
She said hyenas only turned vicious when they were very old and unable to hunt or scavenge for food.
"In its normal sense, a hyena cannot attack a human being," Ms Mwape said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2004 The Times of Zambia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
