Pandemonium broke out in Asaba, Delta state capital on Thursday, following the news of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.
Relatives of patients at the hospital were jostling to evacuate their loved ones from the hospital.
Since the news had circulated round the metropolis, commercial activities were cut short even as commuters retreated into their houses for fear that they may have contact with any infected person.
A check at the hospital along the popular Nnebisi road, West-End, Asaba, revealed that the deadly disease had compelled shops owners in and around the hospital road to close down, even as the wards of the hospital were almost empty.
The Doctors, nurses and other medical workers however beat “no retreat, no surrender” as they were seen within the hospital vicinity.
A Doctor, who pleaded anonymity, however said the atmosphere in the hospital should not scare anybody away, maintaining that “We just resumed work after a prolonged nationwide strike and so activities are yet to pick up.”
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Leo Erhunmwunse, when contacted, said the patient who was brought in was stooling and vomiting, which allegedly trigger fear at the hospital because the aforementioned symptoms depicted the contagious disease.
He however said “but we are yet to determine if he was infected.”
Continuing, “A patient who was stooling and vomiting was actually brought to the hospital today (yesterday), symptoms of Ebola but we need to confirm if he is suffering from the disease. We need to carry out series of test to verify if he has the virus or not. People should not panic. The situation is under control.”
Erhunmwunse said that the hospital will need to conduct series of tests to determine if the patient actually had the dreaded disease, adding that it could take a few days before the results are out.