MINISTER of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran has stated that the diarrhoeal outbreak in Masakenari, a Wai Wai community in Region 9, is under control.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle he noted that the emergency team that was dispatched to the community has returned to Georgetown but another medical team is in the community and they will be there for another month to monitor the situation.
The minister added that no other person has died and he continues to receive updates from the team via Skype everyday at 2:00pm.
He said that his ministry has also sent in another shipment of supplies to the community, and this includes six garbage bins and a quantity of garbage disposal bags for the school and health hut, a quantity of medications, and  diarrhoea tablets and chlorine so that residents can sanitise their surrounding and the water that they consume.
On September 17, 2013, the Ministry of Health responded to a diarrhoeal outbreak in Masakenari, hiring three aircraft to airlift a medical team and large quantities of medicines and medical supplies along with food and other items to support the team.
There are 242 people residing in the community, including 43 children under five years of age and four pregnant women.
Unfortunately, one child in the village died as a result of the diarrhoeal outbreak. A post-mortem examination (PME) was performed by a pathologist airlifted into the community by the Ministry of Health and the results of the PME are pending.