Presiding Bishop, Faith-Hill Prophetic Assembly Abuja Archbishop Professor Emmanuel Musa Jatau has called for the decentralization of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC to all the 774 Local Government Areas of the country to address critical health challenges that might result to the death of Nigerians especially at the rural community level.
Bishop Jatau made the call while reacting to the death of six children from the same family in Gidinye Community of Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State suspected to have been caused by food poisoning.
Bishop Jatau who one of the prominent sons of Gidinye community appealed to Nasarawa State Government through the Ministry of Health to deploy necessary mercenaries to the affected area to ascertain the real cause of death.
According to a family source,the six children from Mr Ezekiel’s family namely:Lydia Isah Ezekiel aged 22,Saraya Kpana Ezekiel aged 15, Godiya Kawoh Ezekiel 6,Unity Patrick Baba aged 7,Ramatu Baba aged 5 and Rejoice Friday aged 6 died within interval of hours after eating suspected food made of Moringa and sorrel known as “yakuwa” leaves in Hausa mixed with groundnut pest in their farm in Keana.
Archbishop Professor Emmanuel Musa Jatau said I am advocating the decentralization of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC to all local government areas of the country with a view to addressing such ugly situations in real time and used the opportunity to identify with the Immediate family and the community over the loss.
Bishop Jatau advocated the provision of adequate equipment of the Primary Healthcare Centres across the state as well as advised citizens to take caution on the kind and quality of food and water they consume as there is no substitute for life.
“At this point we must take responsibility by ensuring that our water container is clean and the food we consume must be cooked under hygienic atmosphere knowing well that we have the responsibility of reporting suspected cases of outbreaks to relevant health authority with a view to tackling challenges of this magnitude in real time. “
A visit to the family Compound at Gidinye, the elder sister to late Lydia, Mary Ezekiel aged 22, explained that on Sunday evening about Ten of her family members ate popular leave called sorrel leave (yakuwa) and Moringa mixed with grinded groundnut pest, onions and pepper which resulted to diarrhea on Monday morning of her sister and when she went for a program unknown to her others were also down.
They were taken to the hospital and they reported that they took poison and were treated for food poisoning to neutralize it, shortly two died aside the one who had earlier gone while others were taken to Specialist hospital yet couldn’t survive despite treatment.This is the first time we are experiencing this because out of the Ten that ate the food, six died remaining four which doctors confirmed that they are healthy.
Father of the deceased Children Ezekiel Nmodu Agidi described the death of his children as unforgettable and sad situation saying his situation was like the Biblical Job who lost his children same day.
My wife called me from farm in Keana telling that my children are sick and upon bringing them from farm,six died within hours in a situation I cannot explain because even the eldest child who was supposed to tell what exactly happened was also dead
He said the health personnel from the Primary Healthcare Centre had come to take urine and stool samples and they are yet to know exactly what happen to them.
He however said he is suspecting food poisoning and appealed to government to help him investigate the root cause of the death of his children to enable him guard against future occurrence.
Also speaking to the Media on the sudden death of the children, the Medical officer in-charge of Agyaragu Comprehensive Medical Centre Maryamu Sunday said all of them had similar complaints because they told us they eat Sorrel (Yakwa)and Moringa and started having stomach ache stressing that no amount of first aid given to them could subside the pains so we had no option than to refer them to Dalhatu Specialist Hospital Lafia.
My advice here is that , whenever we are preparing our food ,we should do it hygienically instead of in the open space; even if it is fruit, we should wash it with salt,we should learn to wash our hands before and after eating our food.
She said for at the time of speaking she could not ascertain the cause of their death but she said they are querying food poisoning because all of them that ate the food and couldn’t vomit or spit it out all died.
For now,all eyes is focused on the out come from the Specialist Hospital to ascertain the cause of the death of the six children from same maternal family.