There was tension in Kaduna State in the early hours of Friday about an outbreak of the Ebola disease at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital, located in the state capital.
Following the rumour of the Ebola spread, which also mentioned another hospital located in Kaduna South Local Government Area within the city centre, sources at the hospitals told our correspondent in confidence that many patients, who were on admission, have fled the hospitals for fear of contracting the deadly disease which presently has no cure.
However, the Public Relations Officer of Saint Gerald’s Hospital, Mr John Ali, said that there was no case of the Ebola disease and wondered how people came up with the rumour that the Ebola spread had reached Kaduna.
On his part, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Thot Dogo, told Channels Television correspondent on telephone that people should discard the rumour as there was no case of the disease in the state.
He described the rumour as unsubstantiated and was only created by some people to cause panic among residents.
In spite of the State Government and the hospital authorities’ statements debunking the rumour, residents have taken to social media to inform their loved ones about the outbreak of the disease and what they should do to stay alive.
Some have recommended measures such as mixing salt in hot water to wash their faces; a claim that has not been backed by health authorities.
The Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero, had on Thursday warned residents of the state to be cautious of the Ebola virus to avoid the spread of the dreaded Ebola disease across the state.
The Governor, during the launching of tricycle ambulances, cautioned the people of the state to adhere strictly to medical tips aimed at preventing the spread of the disease across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, stating that the warning became imperative in view of the dangerous nature of the disease, which took the entire nation by surprise.