In its effort at containing the spread of the strange illness ravaging the Ode Irele community of the state, the Ondo state government has set up emergency task teams and a Situation Room to coordinate the response teams working from the frontlines.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dayo Adeyanju, said in a statementFriday that five emergency response task teams have been raised to handle different aspects of control mechanisms.
The task teams are:
1. Contact Tracing Committee – the committee is already tracing and establishing contacts with those already exposed to patients or dead bodies and monitoring them for possible manifestation of any of the symptoms.
2. Case Management Committee – this is made up of health personnel and volunteers already trained to attend to medical emergencies of this nature. They are to ensure safe and proper management of new and existing cases of the illness. They are required to also train health workers in Irele.
3. Laboratory/Forensic Committee – to establish the etiological/causative agent for the strange illness and ensure safe disposal of corpses.
4. Community Education & Mobilization Committee – intensify mass education and sensitization of the community and the state in a way that will not constitute public health hazard.
5. Print, Electronic & Social Media Sensitization Committee – to make progress report of unfolding developments available in a timely manner to the world to dispel rumours that may lead to widespread panic and fear.
Mr. Adeyanju added, “These and other measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of lives of our dear people of Irele. Let us continue to exercise calm and caution and eschew fear mongering as there is manifest evidence that the situation is being contained.
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