Wednesday 20 August 2014

Bayelsa takes Ebola campaign to corps members

The Seriake Dickson administration in Bayelsa State has taken its sensitisation and awareness campaign against Ebola Virus Disease to the National Youth Service Corps members in the state.

On Tuesday, the government team led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei went to the Kaiama Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
Owei warned the corps members against making contacts with persons showing symptoms of the virus.

Owei also appealed to the corps members to be vigilant, saying they should look out for persons showing symptoms of the disease and to avoid contact with them.
Explaining the Ebola virus and its deadly nature, the commissioner asked the youths to join other Nigerians in “fighting the disease like a wounded lion.”

He told the corps members that all Nigerians that had shown symptoms of the disease were  persons who had direct contacts with the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.
He, however said the fear of Ebola should not affect interpersonal relationship among the corps members since the virus could only be transmitted by persons showing its symptoms.
“It can only be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person. It is one of the conditions that can easily be prevented. When the person is not sick, he is not capable of transmitting it,” Owei said.

He said corps members must avoid secretions of sick persons and maintain high level of personal hygiene.
He said the task force had distributed sanitisers, washing soap and water across the camp and appealed to the youths to always wash their hands.
“We are not saying that you shouldn’t shake hands but don’t do it with sick people. Don’t eat bush meat because some of them are carriers. Ensure that any meat you eat is well-cooked,” he said.

He said the National Council of Health had cancelled the movement of dead bodies from one place to another.
Owei, who described the corps members as the foot soldiers, asked them to carry Ebola message to other parts of the state.
In his remarks, the State Coordinator, NYSC, Mr. Ekeocha Anthony, told the corps members that the Ebola virus was deadlier than the HIV/AIDS.
Source; http://www.punchng.com/news/bayelsa-takes-ebola-campaign-to-corps-members/

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