7th September, 2014
Photo: naijagists.com
Ebonyi State Government has dismissed claims of a possible Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the state. Panic gripped the state after a patient exhibited symptoms akin to that of the deadly Ebola Virus.
The rumour began from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and became an item when doctors, nurses and patients at the hospital fled the hospital premises for fear of not contacting the virus.
It was reported that a doctor at the hospital began the rumour after a patient he was treating began to exhibit symptoms similar to that of Ebola.
Rather than quietly divulge his observation, the doctor was reported to have raised alarmed when he further realised that the woman had recently came into the state from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the virus has killed two people and infected others.
In a swift reaction to the pandemonium, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, dismissed the rumours and urged the public to go about their business normally.
Nwangele said the patient had peptic ulcer and not Ebola Virus Disease, noting that, the state government is well prepared to handle any outbreak.
“False alarm, it is a case of peptic ulcer, disregard the alarm, there is no Ebola Virus Disease in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.”
“Meanwhile, Government of Ebonyi State, through the State Ministry of Health, the Rapid Response Team and Treatment Committee are by His Grace ready to handle issues of Ebola Virus Disease in the Ebonyi state.
“We will also continue to enlighten the entire public to comply with universal precautions as already established which include hand washing, use of sanitizers, restriction of travels to Ebola virus-affected destinations, restriction of conveyance of corpses, minimise contacts with people, etc.”