From Osakhare Erese, Asaba
The Delta State Government has confirmed three cases of the monkey pox disease, and warned against unhealthy environment especially unclean hands before eating.
Dr. Nicholas Azinge, the State Commissioner for Health who addressed journalists yesterday in Asaba, explained that the disease had no treatment, no vaccine, but however allayed fears of the unknown or possible death.
He noted that the disease as self-creating, is often contacted through animal particularly monkey and disclosed that the state government had put everything in place to sensitize the people for necessary prevention.
The Health Commissioner explained that out of the three cases recorded, one of them, a taxi driver claimed to be alone and was yet to have known how he contacted the disease.
But investigation revealed that the three victims, two of them from Delta Central Senatorial District, while the taxi driver hail from Ogwashi-Uku community in Aniocha-South Local Government Area of the state.
His words: “we have agreed to commence sensitization of Deltans, especially ensuring they wash their hands before meals, investigation on the three victims is ongoing, the three of them, one still on admission, Deltans should not panic government is in control” and dispelled as untrue in some media that six cases were recorded.
“The six cases are not monkey pox, they were just ordinarily rashes, investigation is still ongoing, but we as a government urge Deltans to always watch their hands to avoid the ugly situation” Dr. Azinge added.
With 16 days to a full blow monkey pox after slight malaria which raised treatment, Dr. Azinge said though the present cases of the three persons might cause serious apprehension, adding that government has done everything, possible to ensure no new cases recorded.
On renovations of hospitals across the state, the Health Commissioner disclosed that N416 million has been spent on various hospitals have been renovated while accreditation of School of Nursing Warri and Eku were in progress, adding that since the outbreak of monkey pox,
doctors at various government hospitals have been scared of attending to the suspected victims, especially with the horrible nature of the disease.
