The Chief Medical Director of Diocesan Hospital, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Dr. Ejikeme Okonkwo, has raised the alarm over a possible epidemic outbreak in Okpoko, a slum community near Onitsha, as a result of the poor sanitary conditions.

He warned that if deliberate attempts are not made to change the sanitary condition of the community, residents stand the danger of being hit by deadly epidemics.

Okonkwo raised the alarm on Friday, during a two-day free medical outreach, organised for residents of the area by a former lawmaker representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representative, Chukwuma Onyema, in collaboration with National Agency for the Control of AIDS and Niphemy Solutions Limited.

Addressing journalists during the exercise, the CMD said high population density will make epidemics spread faster.

Okonkwo noted that malaria and typhoid fever cases were largely presented by the residents of the community.

This, he said is due to the presence of stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes and dirty markets in the community.

He said urgent steps should be taken by both the federal and the state governments to save the residents from epidemic an outbreak. (The PUNCH)