Even though it is yet to record any case of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Delta state government has announced the designation of four special cremation centres across the state for persons who might die of the disease.
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| Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan |
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph
Otumara, who made this disclosure, said the special cremation centres was part
of the pre-emptive measures to control the spread of the disease if there is an
outbreak.
According to the commissioner who is
also the chairman of the inter-ministarial committee set up for the prevention
and management of the deadly virus, the cremation centres would be sited Agbor,
Ughelli, Warri and Sapele.
He said proximity to the hospitals
designated as isolation centres for handling of suspected cases of Ebola virus
would be taken into consideration in erecting the special cremation centres.
Health facilities to be used as
isolation centres were listed to include Warri Central Hospital, Ughelli
Central Hospital, Sapele Central Hospital, Agbor Central Hospital, Oleh Central
Hospital, Eku Baptist Government Hospital and Delta State University Teaching
Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara.
Otumara explained that a victim can
“incubate the virus without symptoms for 2-21 days, the average being 5-8 days
before becoming ill. They are not contagious until they are acutely ill. Only
when ill does the viral load express itself first in the blood and then in
other bodily fluids (including vomitus, faeces, urine, breast milk, semen and
sweat).”
Throwing more light on the cremation
centres, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Felicia
Adun, explained that the locations would be fenced with gates, while a platform
would be built where the corpse would be placed and burnt.
“It will be well-disinfected with
chemicals to ensure that an infected corpse is well cremated,” she said, adding
that the ash of the cremated corpse may be released to the family if they want
proper burial for the deceased.
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