The Anambra State Ministry of Health has announced that
there are fears in the state that the dreaded Ebola disease
may have penetrated the state through a corpse deposited
in Apex Mortuary, Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi LGA at the
weekend.
The state Commissioner Health, Joe Akabuike, while
addressing journalists on Thursday said that the
development in Anambra is an urgent one, and that the
state government, the Ministry of Health in the state and
the Federal Ministry of Health were handling the situation
with the urgency it requires.
“Why we called you(Journalists) here is because of the
dreaded Ebola disease. In the suspected case that
happened in Lagos recently, the victim is already gone, and
all those who had contact with him have been tested, and
they tested negative.
“Here in Anambra, the urgency I told you is that we have the
case of a corpse that was brought in from Lagos at the
weekend. The deceased was said to have taken ill in Liberia
where the virus is known to have already existed, where he
died and was deposited in a mortuary.
“We have identified the mortuary where the corpse was
deposited, and we have alerted the Federal Ministry to
come in and carry out a test. we have sealed off the
mortuary, and everyone who is working there, we have
ordered that they be quarantined.
“As I speak with you, experts from the Federal Ministry of
Health are on their way to Anambra. What we will do is that
those people that are quarantined will be screened, and we
want to assure Anambra people that we shall be proactive
to ensure that the virus does not spread.
“We have also procured the necessary garment for the
disease check, and we are training our health workers on
how to deal with this because it is new here. We had to
invite the Federal Ministry of Health because the equipment
for the check are very expensive.
“We are not saying that this corpse has Ebola virus, but the
deceased was brought in from Liberia, and deposited in the
state, so we have to raise eyebrow about it. All we are doing
is to take precaution,” the health Commissioner said.
Akabuike disclosed that the disease wass a big threat
because doctors, nurses and relatives of a patient who may
touch the victim were liable to contact it, and that when
doctors begin to die in droves, it spells doom for a country.
He advised that people must form the habit of washing
their hands not only when they want to eat, but after
shaking hands or touching surfaces.
Akabuike expressed shock that a corpse could be flown
from another country to Nigeria, without being intercepted
at the airport for a check. He also disclosed that the state
has secured a quarantine site that will help the ministry to
seclude suspects from the people until they are checked.