Threatens To Arrest Those Behind Messages
THE Federal Government Friday faulted false text messages and social media reports to the effect that to prevent and cure the deadly Ebola virus, people only need to drink salt water and/or have hot water bath mixed with salt. It threatened to arrest
those who originated the messages .
Since the outbreak of Ebola virus in Nigeria, some Nigerians have been sending out unconfirmed messages either to raise panic or to educate people on how to prevent or cure the deadly disease. Many Nigerians are similarly confused by false messages circulated through text messages and social media either by their relatives or unscrupulous elements urging them to drink salt water or bath with it .
But Minister of Health, Prof.Onyebuchi Chukwu, and his information counterpart, Mr. Labaran Maku, who spoke at a world press conference organized in Lagos, condemned the messages, adding that Ebola virus has known cure yet.
The conference was attended by the Project Director of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi; Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Akin Osibogun; Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital ,Yaba, Dr. Rahman Lawal; Medical Director of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHI), Dr. Olurotimi Odunubi and representatives of the U.S Government, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The condemnation is coming at time when the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said it is not contemplating ending on sympathy grounds its strike to treat patients with the Ebola disease.
Lagos State NMA Branch Secretary General, Dr. Saheed Babajide, told The Guardian On Saturday yesterday through a phone interview that although NMA members have been contributing in the bid to control the virus, the striking doctors would not call off the strike partly because government has not taken necessary measures to protect medical officials from getting infected.
He condemned the situation in Lagos where Ebola isolation centres are located in the centre of the city where people could easily be infected, instead of the outskirts of the city where there are no people living around.
The Minister who said his wife also received the unsolicited message early yesterday, said the person behind the message was not only evil-minded, but has only succeeded in sending fallacious messages.
Chukwu, who was visibly angry over the messages, stated that the persons behind them may be trying to sell non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to Nigerians through the drink-salt-water strategy.
Various medical researches had revealed that taking too much salt could lead to NCDs such as hypertension with other attendant deadly health conditions , including kidney disease, diabetes among others.
“Please do not give us NCDs to be battling with. Salt water does not prevent or cure Ebola virus. Drinking salt water is very dangerous, ”he said and threatened to arrest ,through enabling laws, those who originated the messages.
Chuwku also used the occasion to reveal that Nigeria has recorded nine confirmed cases of Ebola virus incidence with another two deaths, adding that fatality rate in Nigeria stands at almost 30 per cent as against ECOWAS’ 55 per cent .
He regretted that some Nigerians who are being suspected of contracting the virus are not observing simple prevention means of not spreading the virus to other members of the public.
Meanwhile, the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday announced the indefinite shutdown of its clinic in the Muri Okunola area of Victoria Island, Lagos, following a suspected case of Ebola virus on admission at the clinic. It was discovered that the patient visited the hospital where the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer died .
The corporation in a statement signed by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ohi Alegbe, explained that the pre-emptive step was taken after the case was duly reported to the Federal Ministry of Health as well as officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
“In the meantime, all contacts with this case are being traced and adequate precautionary measures instituted to contain the possible spread of the disease. The medical team has assured that the patient is in stable condition”, the statement added.
In a related development, the Director Disease Control and Immunization of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Emmanuel Abanida, has called for caution in spreading and dissemination of information on the virus so as not to heat the polity.
His words: “Please we all need to be alert. The virus is not a respecter of persons. If a child has fever and you give him or her Panadol and the fever does not subside, then begin to suspect the worst and rush to the nearest health facility. The virus multiplies very fast and can affect hundreds of persons at a time through transfer of fluids.”
THE Federal Government Friday faulted false text messages and social media reports to the effect that to prevent and cure the deadly Ebola virus, people only need to drink salt water and/or have hot water bath mixed with salt. It threatened to arrest
those who originated the messages .
Since the outbreak of Ebola virus in Nigeria, some Nigerians have been sending out unconfirmed messages either to raise panic or to educate people on how to prevent or cure the deadly disease. Many Nigerians are similarly confused by false messages circulated through text messages and social media either by their relatives or unscrupulous elements urging them to drink salt water or bath with it .
But Minister of Health, Prof.Onyebuchi Chukwu, and his information counterpart, Mr. Labaran Maku, who spoke at a world press conference organized in Lagos, condemned the messages, adding that Ebola virus has known cure yet.
The conference was attended by the Project Director of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi; Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Prof. Akin Osibogun; Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital ,Yaba, Dr. Rahman Lawal; Medical Director of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHI), Dr. Olurotimi Odunubi and representatives of the U.S Government, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The condemnation is coming at time when the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said it is not contemplating ending on sympathy grounds its strike to treat patients with the Ebola disease.
Lagos State NMA Branch Secretary General, Dr. Saheed Babajide, told The Guardian On Saturday yesterday through a phone interview that although NMA members have been contributing in the bid to control the virus, the striking doctors would not call off the strike partly because government has not taken necessary measures to protect medical officials from getting infected.
He condemned the situation in Lagos where Ebola isolation centres are located in the centre of the city where people could easily be infected, instead of the outskirts of the city where there are no people living around.
The Minister who said his wife also received the unsolicited message early yesterday, said the person behind the message was not only evil-minded, but has only succeeded in sending fallacious messages.
Chukwu, who was visibly angry over the messages, stated that the persons behind them may be trying to sell non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to Nigerians through the drink-salt-water strategy.
Various medical researches had revealed that taking too much salt could lead to NCDs such as hypertension with other attendant deadly health conditions , including kidney disease, diabetes among others.
“Please do not give us NCDs to be battling with. Salt water does not prevent or cure Ebola virus. Drinking salt water is very dangerous, ”he said and threatened to arrest ,through enabling laws, those who originated the messages.
Chuwku also used the occasion to reveal that Nigeria has recorded nine confirmed cases of Ebola virus incidence with another two deaths, adding that fatality rate in Nigeria stands at almost 30 per cent as against ECOWAS’ 55 per cent .
He regretted that some Nigerians who are being suspected of contracting the virus are not observing simple prevention means of not spreading the virus to other members of the public.
Meanwhile, the Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday announced the indefinite shutdown of its clinic in the Muri Okunola area of Victoria Island, Lagos, following a suspected case of Ebola virus on admission at the clinic. It was discovered that the patient visited the hospital where the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer died .
The corporation in a statement signed by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ohi Alegbe, explained that the pre-emptive step was taken after the case was duly reported to the Federal Ministry of Health as well as officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
“In the meantime, all contacts with this case are being traced and adequate precautionary measures instituted to contain the possible spread of the disease. The medical team has assured that the patient is in stable condition”, the statement added.
In a related development, the Director Disease Control and Immunization of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Emmanuel Abanida, has called for caution in spreading and dissemination of information on the virus so as not to heat the polity.
His words: “Please we all need to be alert. The virus is not a respecter of persons. If a child has fever and you give him or her Panadol and the fever does not subside, then begin to suspect the worst and rush to the nearest health facility. The virus multiplies very fast and can affect hundreds of persons at a time through transfer of fluids.”
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