Bayelsa Secretly Buries Monkey Pox Victim

By Ayo Kehinde

 

 

A monkey pox patient

 

There are conflicting reports about how a monkey pox patient said to be responding to treatment in an isolation facility of the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital died on Sunday. He is said to have committed suicide.

But Commissioner for Health, Professor Ebititula Etebu at a news conference Monday said the patient was recovering from the illness and has not shown any form of depression neither was he a mental case.

He said: ” It is, however, important to note that the patient was recovering and had improved significantly like other patients.  His medical history did not suggest any mental illness or features of depression.” The government buried the deceased before informing the police and the family, according to the commission. He did not explain further.

In his attempt to justify the case of suicide established by the government, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel Iworiso, said. “This is to inform the general public that the patient did not die of the disease but committed suicide.  We want to tell our people not to panic; government is on top of the situation. We should try and stay away from bush meat, monkey precisely.”

Prof Etebu confirmed that there are 21 suspected monkeypox patients being managed at the isolation facility of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH),but the latest report say that only three people have been confirmed with Monkeypox. This was based on laboratory analysis from Dakar in Senegal released on Monday.

 

” All are doing well; 10 have been discharged; seven still on admission and improving,” he said.