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

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."