New Deido market traders shame hygiene and sanitation personnel for ‘very late’ disinfection

Traders at the New Deido market in the Douala I subdivision have criticized Hygiene and Sanitation personnel of the municipality for their “very late” arrival to disinfect the market area where a truck transporting excrement accidentally emptied its content while ascending the market hill on Monday 4 September 2023. The watery feces collected from a septic tank spilled on food items displayed by traders along the road.

The hygiene and sanitation agents only arrived for disinfection on Wednesday, September 6, three days later.

“It is inadmissible that the excrement spilled here on Monday and disinfection was done three days after by sanitation officials. There are already sick persons as a result of the incident.” A trader said.

According to one of the hygiene and sanitation personnel, Ewane, “the disinfection operation aims at preventing a cholera outbreak and other illnesses which could generate as a result what happened.”

Traders also testified that some vendors along the road whose goods were washed by the feces rinsed them and still sold them.

” There is a woman whose sweet potatoes were washed by the excrement. She sold them after rinsing them with water. Others were selling tomatoes, pepper…”

When the incident happened, the driver and his assistant tried blocking the feces with almost bare hands from coming out of the tank of the truck. This was after traders raised alarm.

“They had used a plastic bag to tie the mouth of the tank. Unfortunately, the pressure as they were ascending caused it to detach. That’s how excreta started flowing from the tank into roadside vendors. The driver and assistant were in a total mess as they both were struggling to seal the mouth of the tank.” Recounted a witness.

The incident came to add to the insalubrious state of the New Deido market coupled with its disorder despite repeated administrative actions to put the traders in order.