The Ogun State Government has confirmed that all persons admitted at the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, following the recent chemical inhalation incident in some schools within the town, have been discharged.
Penpushing reports that the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, made this known during an engagement with parents, guardians and residents at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School on Saturday, explaining that they were discharged after receiving medical attention and being certified fit by health personnel.
The Commissioner stated that the state government would deploy ambulance crews to all wards in Ijebu-Ode to ensure prompt emergency response, adding that each ambulance would be staffed with a driver and a paramedic to respond swiftly to incidents in the area.
Penpushing further reports that Coker disclosed that the government had established a medical response protocol to ensure that any patient taken to secondary health facilities and requiring advanced care would be immediately transferred to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.
“There were persons admitted at the Ijebu-Ode State Hospital and others at Ijebu-Ife who were affected by the methane emission. Altogether, we had adults and children admitted, and I am glad to say that all have been discharged. They are hale and hearty’, she said.
“Methane is a non-toxic gas; however, it competes with oxygen which our body and brain need to function properly, and that is why it is of concern to us. In mild concentrations, it may not produce symptoms, but moderate exposure can cause fatigue, rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it could lead to convulsion or unconsciousness, but we thank God that none of the patients recorded severe symptoms in the last 24 hours’, Coker added.
Penpushing also reports that the commissioner urged residents not to panic in the event of any unusual occurrence, advising them to make use of the ministry’s emergency response line.
The Commissioner disclosed that district surveillance nurses, nursing officers and rapid response personnel had already been deployed to the community, while the ministry had also informed the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control about the incident.
“We have an emergency call centre that operates daily. If you smell, hear or notice anything suspicious, please alert us immediately so that our personnel can investigate. We have environmental health officials, rapid response teams and adequate oxygen supply in our ambulances and health facilities across the state’, Coker stated.
Penpushing reports that she revealed that the ministry would train teachers from public and private schools, while interested parents would also be trained as community first responders.
The commissioner explained that emergency response procedures include promptly calling for help and protecting the respiratory system with a wet cloth where methane exposure is suspected,
Penpushing further reports that Coker added that toxicology tests would equally be conducted on some of the affected children to determine the level of gas exposure, stressing that so far, all the cases recorded have been mild or moderate, with no severe cases,” she stated.
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