Amaechi
Ebola: Outbreak in Rivers causes panic in Bayelsa, Cross River
The spread of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, has created
panic in neighbouring Bayelsa State as well as Cross River State.
Residents in Yenagoa, the capital of
Bayelsa State, became apprehensive when the news broke that a doctor had
died of the virus in Port-Harcourt.
The fear was heightened by the proximity of Port-Harcourt to Yenagoa.
People were seen in clusters at the
popular Ekeki Park, where travellers normally board vehicles to
Port-Harcourt, discussing Ebola.
Although vehicles were seen leaving for Port-Harcourt, passengers and drivers took extra measures to protect themselves.
Some quickly dashed to nearby shops to buy sanitisers while others, including drivers, wore hand gloves.
A driver, who identified himself as
Emmanuel, said although he was scared of the development, it would not
deter him from engaging in his job.
He said: “It is unfortunate that this
virus has come close to us in Port-Harcourt. But we believe that it
won’t get here. We will take measures to protect ourselves,” he said.
In other places, including markets, people were heard expressing fears over the disease.
The government had earlier set up a task
force headed by the Commissioner for Health to take measures to stop
the spread of Ebola in the state.
The committee had embarked on aggressive
campaigns to sensitise people on Ebola, including visiting the
orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The Bayelsa State Government had while
closing the 2014 Batch B Orientation course charged corps members to
lead the Ebola virus awareness campaign.
The governor of the state, Mr. Seriake
Dickson, appealed to the corps members to move into the rural areas and
educate the people on the causes and prevention of Ebola.
Dickson who was represented at the event
in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, by the Commissioner
for Education, Mr. Salo Adikumo, asked the corps members to play a
committed role in ending the disease.
Like Yenagoa, there was also panic at
the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Cross River State
yesterday over a suspected Ebola case.
A worker in the hospital said the scare was due to the appearance of a very sickly patient.
The worker said: “The way the patient
looked, it was really bad. So, people started running away from the
patient. Even some health workers at first ran away before attending to
the person.”
The scare was intensified when a member
of the National Conference from Cross River, Mr Orok Duke, took to his
Facebook page to spread the information.
Duke said an Ebola patient arrived from Port Harcourt and had been quarantined alongside others who contact was made with.
But the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Thomas Agan, said it was unfounded.
A text message addressed to Mr Duke
read: “I am shocked that someone of your status will post an unfounded
story on Facebook to misinform not only Nigerians but the world at
large! You know the implications are far reaching!
“Please be informed that there is no
case of Ebola both in UCTH and General Hospital Calabar. I will advise
you to retract what you have posted immediately sir!”
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Angela Oyo-Ita, said it was not true.
She said: “It is absolutely false.
Whoever is bringing that up does not mean well for the state. A sick
patient came in, yes, and people ran away. I received a call and acted
on it. So they got back to me and said the person tested for HIV. The
person came from Port Harcourt.
“It is not true that people have been quarantined in the hospital. The patient was tested for HIV, not Ebola.”
Commissioner for Justice, Attah Ochinke,
on his Facebook page reacted: “This is not correct information. There
is no Ebola in Calabar. While we encourage people to take precaution, we
should be wary of creating panic.
“A woman came in today from Port
Harcourt sick and delirious. Medical staff at General Hospital were
afraid to attend to her initially for fear of Ebola. Eventually, she was
attended to and tests were conducted which proved she was not infected
by Ebola.
“It will be dangerous if every sickness
is tagged Ebola as people who ordinarily should get quick medical
attention may not get it, and we don’t know who.
“Vigilance is high and isolation
facilities have been prepared in Calabar just in case. But we pray that
we don’t have to actually encounter a case of Ebola here.”
Meanwhile, 82 new border patrol
officials have been deployed in the state by the Nigerian Immigration
Services (NIS) to help check people coming into the state from the
borders in order to check the disease.
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