Ebola scare: Abandoned corpse, victim of hit and run driver —FMC

By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Authorities of the two Ebola isolation centres in Bayelsa State, the Federal Medical Centre, FMC and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, yesterday, dismissed as “dangerous rumour,” claims that four deaths had been recorded in the state from the dreaded Ebola virus, noting that an abandoned corpse in the state capital was a hit and run victim.

The death of the middle-aged woman at the FMC was blamed by some on negligence on the part of the medical personnel at the casualty ward of the hospital, who allegedly refused to administer treatment on her following a hit and run incident.


Our correspondent, who visited the FMC, Yenagoa learnt that the hit and run victim might have been saved, had the medical personnel given her the deserved attention.

A staff of the hospital, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the refusal of the doctors on duty to treat the victim over fear of Ebola led to the death of the victim yesterday at 11a.m.

“The victim was brought into the casualty ward by two good Samaritans. She was reported to have been hit by a hit and run driver on the Sanni Abacha way in Yenagoa. Instead of treating the bruises and cuts on her body, the doctors refused, claiming it may be Ebola.
“The woman was brought into the casualty ward at 2p.m., on Monday. She was abandoned and died at 11a.m., on Tuesday.

“Even when the mortuary attendants were asked to take the body to the morgue, they refused. They, however, took the body after the intervention of a senior staff. It is a shame,” the source added.

But the Public Relations Officer of the FMC, Mr Bernard Akpedi, confirmed that the death of the middle-aged woman had nothing to do with Ebola virus disease.
He said: “The  deceased was an accident victim brought to  the hospital by good Samaritans. The patient was being managed  by the  hospital  before her death.”

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com