Delta State government has debunked story making the rounds that a patient died of Ebola disease in the state at the Eku Specialist Hospital, Eku.
In a statement by Chike Ogeah, Delta commissioner for information, he said the story is completely false, noting that a diabetic woman who had earlier been undergoing treatment at Eku Specialist Hospital returned from a visit to Port Harcourt and reported at the hospital where she unfortunately died.
“As a patient with a history of diabetes at the hospital, her status was well known. However, it emerged that she was a victim of unusual salt intake as a result of the large quantity of salt she consumed when people were falsely led to believe that drinking salt solutions would stave off Ebola virus disease.
“At no time did the patient manifest any Ebola symptom nor was she known to have had any contact with an EVD patient”, the statement read.
The state government thereby assured all residents that there is no Ebola patient in the state.
“All stories about an EVD patient or death in any hospital in Delta State should be disregarded as mere rumours from uninformed people. We hereby declare emphatically that there is no Ebola outbreak in Delta State. All residents should go about their normal duties without any fear. However, we urge everybody to remain vigilant”, the government said.
DON OKERE
