complying with the Federal Government's ban on the inter-state
movement of corpses thus risking the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
Investigation by PUNCH revealed that most states had yet to put
measures in place to control indiscriminate movement of corpses.
The Federal Government, through the National Council on Health, had
banned inter-state movement of corpses as part of the measures aimed
at preventing the spread of the deadly Ebola virus imported to Nigeria
by a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.
Despite the ban, families of deceased persons and undertakers have
also continued to defy the order.
PUNCH found that corpses were being moved from Lagos State to other
destinations without getting the mandatory government waivers.
The NCH had said only dead bodies with waivers granted by the Federal
Ministry of Health would be transported within and into Nigeria,
adding that such corpses must be conveyed only in ambulances.
The NCH, which is the highest policy making body in the health sector,
had also advised state governments to enact laws for the effective
compliance with the ban.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had said, "The corpses
of all persons confirmed to have died of EVD must be buried according
to WHO standard protocol.
"Council further directed that the transport of corpses into Nigeria
as well as inter-state transport should be banned until further notice
except with approved waivers that may be issued by the Federal
Ministry of Health."
Chukwu added that corpses from other countries must have waivers from
the FMH and must be carried in only ambulances.
In his advice to the leadership of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers and the National Road Transport Owners, Chukwu had
said, "From today, don't allow any sick person to enter your vehicles
again except he or she produces a medical report which should contain
the nature of the ailment and the fact that other passengers will not
be infected. Only the dead and the sick can transmit the (Ebola)
disease.
"Don't carry any corpse unless you have the waiver which is obtainable
only from the Federal Ministry of Health, duly signed by the Minister.
So you must demand to see a waiver from anybody who may ask you to
carry a dead person.
"Find out from the ministry, the authenticity of the waiver in case
you are in doubt. Without a waiver, we will not allow you to enter
Nigeria and your vehicle will be impounded because Ebola disease is
transmitted mainly by someone who died of the virus and infected
persons."
In spite of this, families have continued to move their dead without
getting the necessary waivers from the government.
A Lagos State resident who pleaded anonymity because of fear of being
punished, during the week transported the body of his late mother who
died in Lagos to his home state with a private car without getting any
waiver.
One of PUNCH correspondents, who saw the vehicle when he was driving
beside the vehicle in a heavy traffic on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway,
found out that the body was packaged in a sitting position to avoid
attempt by the police to stop the movement.
Though the woman was said to have died at home, the resident told the
correspondent that he had to transport the body for burial according
to Islamic injunction and getting a waiver would be difficult and time
consuming, especially as the deceased did not die of Ebola virus.
He added that he could not afford N30,000 to get waiver from the government.
Similarly, a family, who asked not to be named because of fear of
possible arrest, had last week moved the body of their son who died of
cancer to his ancestral home in Imo State without getting any waiver
from the government.
The family source, who spoke with one of PUNCH correspondents on the
telephone, confirmed that the ambulance bearing the corpse was
accompanied by a police patrol team that was paid N100, 000.
The source said, "It was difficult getting the police to lead the
ambulance to Imo State because they were scared of the Ebola virus.
Even when we showed them a medical report stating the cause of the
death, they still declined. But we later got another team which
initially demanded N150,000, but we settled for 100,000. We have since
deposited the body in a morgue in Imo State. We did not get any
waiver."
Also, one of our correspondents saw a corpse- bearing ambulance
opposite the Federal Road Safety Corps office in Ojodu area of Lagos
State at about 11.30pm on Thursday.
PUNCH
No comments:
Post a Comment