Medical personnel and patients at the Federal Teaching Hospital took to their heels on Saturday following a suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease at the hospital.
This is even as the Ebonyi State Government has debunked rumours of an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the state.
The state was thrown into panic following the rumour that emanated from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, of the presence of an Ebola patient in the hospital.
It was gathered that as soon as a doctor in the hospital raised the false alarm while treating a patient who was manifesting symptoms similar to Ebola, doctors, nurses and patients scampered out of the hospital premises.
The doctor was said to have been alarmed when he discovered that the woman recently came into the state from Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, which had recorded some cases of the disease.
“As we speak, I have left the hospital and there is serious tension and panic there. Though, we are yet to confirm the report, I believe it is not Ebola,” a doctor told the Nation.
But the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, debunked the rumours and urged the public to disregard it.
He said the patient rather had peptic ulcer and not Ebola Virus Disease as was rumoured. He also reiterated the preparedness of the state government’s treatment team to handle any outbreak.
He said, “False alarm, it is rather 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.”
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