Cholera Outbreak: Ogun Government Rolls Out Strict Safety Measures

By: Israel Adeleke 

In response to the cholera outbreak affecting 30 states, including Lagos, the Ogun State Government has rolled out stringent precautionary measures to avert the spread within its borders, especially during this Eid-el-kabir festivities.

OPEN TELEVISION Naija gathered that the Lagos State Government had earlier reported that the state grappled with a cholera outbreak that has claimed five lives and led to 60 hospitalizations.

OPEN TELEVISION Naija further gathered that the affected areas in Lagos include Eti Osa, Lagos Island, Ikorodu, and Kosofe LGAs, where cases of severe gastroenteritis have surged.

The Lagos State Health Commissioner, Akin Abayomi, who had called for heightened vigilance and adherence to precautionary measures to stem the spread of the disease, added that the outbreak that led to around 60 hospital admissions, with five deaths occurred mainly due to patients seeking treatment late with severe dehydration.

However in response to quickly fight this crisis from the neighboring state, the Ogun State Government through his Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, announced these measures in a statement on Saturday. 

He explained that the Governor is seriously concerned about the development and the need to protect the people in the State considering the proximity of Ogun to Lagos and the degree of interactions between the two states.

According to the statement, precautionary measures, including the following, have been put in place:

“All houses MUST have toilets. Each house without a toilet should identify a room to be converted to a toilet. ” Residents are given three to six months of grace for compliance.

“All petrol stations MUST have functional public toilets with running water as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

“All garages and parks MUST have functional toilets with running water.

“All markets MUST have functional public toilets with running water.

“Mechanic villages MUST have functional toilet with running water.

“All schools (public and private) should have public toilets with running water.”

In addition to those measures, Ogun residents were also advised to take the following measures as a way of galvanising themselves against the disease.

“Drink safe water that is boiled or chlorinated; wash your hands with soap and water after visiting the toilet and before handling food; wash fruits and vegetables properly with safe water before eating and for preparing food; cook food properly. Buy and eat only hot food; use water from reliable sources, among other precautions.”

The statement however, added that the Ministry of Environment would see to the strict compliance of all the measures as violators would be made to face the wrath of law accordingly.