Panic struck the Siaya district hospital yesterday evening when a man exhibiting signs of ebola was admitted at the health facility.
27-year-old Isaiah Otieno Akwany was put in a solitary ward as his blood sample was taken and sent to Kenya Medical research Institute, Siaya branch for a test before any conclusions could be made with regards to what he was suffering from.
Siaya medical superintendent Dr. Jacktone Omoto said the patient had excessive blood oozing from his gums after his tooth was extracted and also passed urine that contained blood; symptoms he associated to haemorrhagic fever.
Dr. Omoto dispelled any fears that the man could be suffering from Ebola saying, “We have only isolated him as a precautionary measure and we are waiting for the results of the test before making informed conclusion.”
He said the haemorrhagic fever that the doctors suspected is equally contagious and could spread to other people within the facility if any precautions are not taken.
The patient from Ting’wang’i Village, Siaya County is said to have been admitted to the hospital after he ate parts of a goat that had been bitten by a cobra snake.
Siaya acting District commissioner Mr. Gerald Mutuku who visited the hospital appealed for calm as the medical personnel investigate the sickness.
“It is suspected that the meat was poisonous and could be the cause of his sickness. The outcome of the laboratory tests will determine the sickness that the patient suffers from,” he said.
