The Gombe State Commissioner for Health Dr Habu Ɗahiru has called on people of the state to report any suspected outbreak of diseases to Disease Notification Officers of their respective local governments or the heads of primary healthcare centres for proper and emergency response not on social media.
According to a press statement signed and made available to Jewel Times by the Information Officer Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Muhammad G Muhammad, the commissioner was speaking when his counterpart of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali visited him in his office on the backdrop of a report on social media making rounds that an outbreak of a strange diseases broke out in Nafaɗa Local Government Area.
He said on seeing the report, he sent the state emergency response team which comprised of specialists in various fields to investigate and report back to the ministry.
He said “The team on arrival, carried out an investigation on the number of deaths as contained in the social media speculations and found out that only three people have died under the period as against 20 reported on the social media”.
The commissioner added that 30 samples were taken from the three households of the deceased persons and results of 11 out the 30 returned negative of any viral infection, while still waiting for the rest to be made available soon.
Dr Ɗahiru called on people of Nafaɗa not to panic as the three deaths recorded were not as a result of any outbreak of a strange disease but normal diseases.
He said the state’s ministry of health has put machineries in motion for any outbreak, appealing to members the public to report any case through proper channels and not on social media.
Speaking on the purported outbreak, the Commissioner Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning Salihu Baba Alkali, who hails from Nafaɗa, said on seeing the report on social media, he immediately intimated his health counterpart, a development that prompted the quick response.
He called on people of the area not to panic as the results available showed that there is no cause for alarm, adding that more medical officers and the commissioner ministry of health himself will visit the community soon.
Baba Alƙali further urged them to avoid spreading rumours on social media especially on issues relating to health, but report such to the nearby appropriate authorities.
It could be recalled that a Hausa Facebook post written by one Mubarak Manu, who identified himself as community health scientist, has last week went viral on social media platforms maintaining that there was an outbreak of a strange illness in Nafaɗa which kills within 24 hours, if proper professional attention was not received.
The post said the illness has major signs to include paralysis of one leg, headache, stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea, severe fever among others.
In the post, the writer called on the state and federal ministries of health, state and national primary healthcare development agencies, Save the Children, World Health Organization and other relevant NGOs to come to their aid.