Rivers State Government has banned the consumption of local gin
popularly called Ogogoro following the death of about 22 persons in
Bonny Island, Bonny, and Woji in Obio Akpor local government areas of
Rivers.
According to PMNews, they died after consuming dog meat delicacy and
local gin popularly called 'Kai-Kai' or Ogogoro which allegedly
contained poisonous ethanol.
The Rivers government through the Department of Disease Control said
the ban became necessary measure to avoid more people consuming the
toxic substance.
The Director of Disease Control in state ministry of Health, Dr.
Roland Obed Whyte, however expressed concern over the difficulty in
getting samples of the particular gin through clinical analysis
because the irate youths of Woji had set ablaze the shop of Friday
Dickson, aka Etiaba where the suspected toxic gin was bought and
consumed erasing the remaining samples of the gin. Dickson is
presently in the custody of the Police.
Whyte however said that health officials from the Ministry have been
dispatched to Woji for house-to-house enlightenment on dangers in the
consumption of highly toxic local gin.
He also said that preliminary findings revealed that the symptoms
exhibited by the affected victims include, vomiting and blindness.
PM NEWS also learnt that another challenge facing the state ministry
of Health is that some of the remains of the deceased were buried
without autopsy making further medical examinations a Herculean task.
In Bonny Island, Simon Wilcox, a youth leader and spokesman for Bonny
kingdom confirmed yesterday the death of 17 persons after the
consumption of the toxic local brew popularly kai-kai imported into
the Island.
"As I speak with you 17 persons have been confirmed dead.We are going
to the hospital to attend those who are lying critically ill.We need
the help of World Health Organization, WHO, Federal and Government
agencies to assist people of Bonny kingdom," Wilcox said.
—pmnews
No comments:
Post a Comment