Kogi govt embarks on census of victims of strange disease

Kogi state government said it is yet to ascertain the casualty toll of the victims of the “strange disease” that has afflicted residents of parts of Yagba West local government.

The government has therefore ordered further investigation so to come up with the actual number of people that died as a result of the mysterious disease.

Last week, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna, disclosed to newsmen that about 62 people died following the outbreak of a “strange “disease that has claimed scores of lives.

But in a twist, the commissioner dispelled the news of 62 people said to have been killed by the alleged strange ailment in Yagba West local government area of the state saying it was the initial information given by the Fulani leader in the villages.

He further disclosed that the epidemic started six weeks ago at Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa all in the local government.

According to the commissioner, the disease was not a case of Lassa fever as laboratory tests carried out on the patients by medical experts drafted to the community proved negative.

He further explained that out of the 39 patients evacuated from the villages to the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja, only six were admitted as a result of vomiting and stooling, adding that the patients were responding to treatment.

He stated: “Honestly, we have decided to carry out the ideal findings, so that we can come up with the actual figure of deaths.

“We will investigate and trace the dead people to the grave yard and come up with the correct figure.

“We want to assure the general public that government is doing all that is humanly possible to stay on top of the situation and forestall further loss of lives. We will continue to inform the public as the investigation progresses.”

Also speaking, the State’s Epidemiologist, Dr. Francis Akpa, said anytime there was an outbreak of disease, the first thing to do was to find out where the patients went to and carry out tests on them.

He said that the information they got from their disease surveillance system was that one of the three patients brought to ECWA hospital in Egbe, was suspected to have Lassa fever, but when sample was taken to Irua hospital in Edo state, the result was negative, saying it lowered their suspicion of Lassa fever.

Daily Times was informed by survivors and their mentors that the disease and its subsequent unquantifiable toll started and heightened about three weeks ago

The Commissioner stated that the claim by the Fulani leaders in the villages about the death toll cannot. be taken to be correct until the medical personnel in the state carry out the empirical assessment to have a conclusive prove and figure of the number of deaths recorded

A parent of one of the patients who said he lost his 4 years son as a result of illness Abubakar Burku told newsmen that he was not sure of the numbers of the dead but admitted that some Fulani camps lost not less than 10 persons since the beginning of the epidemic.

However, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Bolorunduro Ehalaiye, while speaking with newsmen said 40 patients were rushed to the hospital and after medical extermination only 6 people were admitted and they are responding to treatment.