The Bayelsa State Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease has taken the ongoing awareness campaign to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp at Kaiama, headquarters of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
Addressing the corpsmen on Thursday, the chairman of the task force and Commissioner for Health, Ayibatonye Owei said “Ladies and gentlemen, we must fight this battle. Take this message to all the nooks and crannies of the state.”
Owei stated the mode of transmission, symptoms and preventive measures against the dreaded disease while stressing the need for personal hygiene among the corpsmen.
He urged them to wash their hands regularly after contact with people, before eating, after using the toilet, avoid eating bush meat especially monkeys and bats while ensuring that meat is well cooked to kill the virus.
The commissioner also warned them against contact with corpses as dead patients can also spread the disease hence the Federal Government banned importation and inter-state movement of corpses.
According to him, body fluids or secretions as well as cuts, wounds and abrasions aid infection and used the opportunity to give update on efforts by the state government to combat any outbreak of the disease in Bayelsa State.
Owei disclosed that the state government has among other things purchased sanitizers and provided equipment at the NYSC Orientation Camp Clinic as well as hand washing equipment.
Earlier, NYSC state coordinator, Ekeocha Anthony told the corpsmen that the task force was there to create awareness about Ebola virus Disease and urged them to listen attentively.
Anthony noted that the disease is more deadly than HIV/AIDS and that the awareness campaign is in line with a presidential directive to all health commissioners.
He stated that President Goodluck Jonathan’s meeting with all the state governors underscored the importance of the sensitisation programme.
Samuel Ese
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