Senate to FG: Probe Benue strange deaths
The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Arbovirus and the Vector Research Centre, to probe the cause of strange deaths in Benue State.
The resolution was sequel to a motion on the urgent need to deal with the outbreak of a strange ailment suspected to be Yellow Fever, ravaging Epeilo-Otukpa and Itahono-Owukpa communities in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The motion was moved by Senator Patrick Abba, who is representing Benue South in the red chamber.
The Senate also urge the Federal Ministry of Health to urgently mobilise focal persons to the affected areas to complement the efforts of the Benue State Government in ascertaining the nature of the ailment.
The upper chamber also tasked the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to promptly put up surveillance to contain the disease and see to the treatment of victims and protect others from further contracting it.`
It urged the NCDC and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to synergise and support the people of Benue South Senatorial District and in particular the Epeilo-Otukpa and Itabono-Owukpa communities, to treat, prevent and or reduce the number of cases and deaths.
The Senate further urged the Federal Ministry of Health to immediately activate and set up a multi-agency yellow fever emergency operatives centre in Benue South, if the result should be positive for yellow fever.
The Senate demanded the conduct of a mass vaccination and awareness campaigns in Benue South Senatorial District.
Moro in his motion had noted with grave pain the outbreak of a strange ailment said to be yellow fever in the state.
He expressed further concerns that the strange ailment has not yet been effectively diagnosed by health authorities.
He, however, indicated that the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services has been able to intervene to some extent having collected samples and sent same to National Reference Laboratory to be able to establish the kind of organism that is causing the ailment and is availing victims of interim treatment.
He expressed sadness that the affected people in the rural localities are dying on a daily basis in their numbers with Epeilo and ltabono communities recording 20 and 25 deaths respectively. Punch
