Ebola scare as patient shows signs

Homabay District Hospital has been placed on a high alert for Ebola after a middle-aged female patient presented symptoms similar to those of the dreaded disease.

The Hospital’s medical superintended, Dr Ojwang Ayoma, was forced to summon the hospital’s top medical team that included doctors, clinical officers and nurses for an emergency meeting to discuss the development in the face of a possible outbreak.

This, was after it was discovered that the patient had blood coming out through all her body openings.

The woman was rushed to the hospital by an elderly relative after allegedly developing high fever, a sore throat and general body weakness.

The patient’s condition was said to have deteriorated late in the night with blood oozing from her body’s openings .

Dr Ayoma said, they were forced to isolate the patient together with her relative who was however unable to give a proper account of the history of the ailing relative.

The elderly woman told the hospital’s authorities that her sister-in-law resides at Sori market of Nyatike area in Migori County.

Dr Ayoma said that it was still premature to conclude that the patient had caught the Ebola virus, but was quick to point out that given the symptoms she had presented, and coupled with the current threats caused by the emergence of the disease in the neighbouring Uganda, they could not take chances.

“We have already set up a tent for both the victim and her relative as their blood samples have been sent to KEMRI for urgent analysis,” said Dr Ayoma.

The incident in Homa Bay has come in the wake of fears among Kenyans residing in the Migingo island of contracting the deadly Ebola virus through the free mingling of Kenyans and Ugandans on Lake Victoria.

The Island currently has close to 2000 fishermen from the two countries.

On Friday, Kenyans living on the disputed Migingo have expressed fears of contracting the haemorrhagic disease.

The fishermen and traders said their Ugandan counterparts were trooping to the island in large numbers to fish but were not being screened due to lack of personnel and equipment on the island.

Some of the fishermen expressed fears that they could easily contract the disease because of their daily interactions with their Ugandan counterparts who arrive every day.

“We are living in extreme fear of contracting the virus which may sweep us here like a bush fire due to lack of a well-equipped medical facility. What we have is only one chemist selling basic painkillers,” said Mr Tom Jairo, a fisherman.

This comes after airport authorities prepared guidelines for airlines operating flights from Uganda to Kenya to ensure no Ebola cases enter the country.

These were part of measures taken to ensure that the disease, which was first detected in Kabaale district in Uganda, does not spread to Kenya.