Authorities of the two Ebola isolation centres in Bayelsa State – the Federal Medical Centre and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital have dismissed stories that an abandoned corpse in Yenagoa, the state capital, was an Ebola victim. Dismissed also was the rumour that four deaths had been recorded in the state from the deadly Ebola virus.
While dismissing the report, they said that the abandoned corpse in the state capital was caused by a hit-and-run driver and not caused by Ebola.
In a response from the NDUTH, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Francis Tonkumo, they said every rumour of Ebola in the state was false and that three persons did not die from the diseases as reported in the media. He insisted that the isolated ward was empty and no case of Ebola had been recorded.
Tonkumo said, “We have been bombarded by calls from everyone asking if the rumour about deaths from Ebola is true. It is a lie and the isolation centre at the hospital is empty. We have received the needed protective gears.”
It was learnt that the circumstances that led to the death and abandonment of the corpse of the unnamed middle-aged woman might lead to an open probe over alleged negligence of the victim by the staff of the FMC, Yenagoa.
A highly placed official of the hospital, who pleaded for anonymity, had told the Punch that the refusal of the doctors on duty to treat the hit-and-run victim over fear of Ebola led to the death of the victim at about 11am on Tuesday.
“The victim was brought into the casualty ward by two good Samaritans. She was reported to have been hit by a hit-and-run driver along the Sanni Abacha Way in the Yenagoa metropolis.
“Instead of treating her due to the bruises and cuts in her body, the doctors refused, fearing it might be Ebola case. They refused even when the pictures of the scene of the accident were shown to them.
“The woman was brought into the casualty section by 2pm on Monday. She was abandoned and she died about 11am on Thursday. Even when the mortuary attendants were asked to take the body to the morgue by some doctors, they refused. They only took the body after the intervention of the Head of Administration. It is a shame.” He said
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