I Became Blind After Drinking Ogogoro --Ode-Irele Survivor

One of the survivors of the Ode-Irele methanol poisoning, Mr. Olorunwa
Jero, yesterday, recounted his ordeal in the throes of death.

Jero, a father of six, who is a vulcaniser, narrated: "By the time I
was brought here, I had gone blind. I could not identify my wife, I
could not identify anything. I did not even know when I arrived here.

"But I thank God and the management and staff of University College
Hospital, UCH, for bailing me out. I can see all of you here clearly.
I can even identify the clothes each one of you is putting on."

The victim commended the teaching hospital for its timely medical
intervention which he said saved his life.

Meantime, UCH management, yesterday, confirmed that five victims of
Ode-Irele methanol poisoning were responding to treatment.

The victims were said to have taken the methanol while consuming a local gin.

Confirming that the toxin was detected in the blood and urine of the
victims, Professor Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director, UCH, said
the five victims were transferred to the teaching hospital on April 18
adding that they had regained their lost sight as a result of taking
the chemical.

Alonge, who said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, warned
people to be wary of taking local gin so as to avoid s similar
unpleasant experience.

According to the CMD, series of tests were carried out on the victims
and the samples of the three drinks they took.

The medical practitioner said: "On April 18, the Consultant
Pathologist with the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osasan, called
to seek the assistance of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in
the management of five patients who survived the Ode-Irele
neuro-toxicity saga who were completely blind.

''We agreed to take over the management of the patients but requested
for the samples of the local gin that were incriminated along the
fresh blood and urine samples of the patients.

''I contacted the consultant neurologist on call, Dr. Steeve Oluwole
for a comprehensive evaluation of the patients because of the clinical
presentation of the patients that had died and the ones that survived
since they all pointed to neurotoxicity.

''In addition, the clinical pharmacologists led by Professor Catherine
Falade, the laboratory scientists and specialists advisers to the
hospital, Professor Segun Ademowo, were all contacted for the
biochemical analyses of the blood of these patients as well as the
urine in addition to the three samples of local gin that was
reportedly consumed by the patients.

He added that all the relevant health personnel worked for almost two
weeks before they detected the likely cause of the neurotoxicity
exemplified by sudden blindness and correlated their findings with the
toxicants in the blood, urine and the local gin samples.
--Vanguard