Two people have been confirmed dead and five hospitalised due to cholera in Badagry.
The Medical Director of Badagry General Hospital, Olatunde Bakare, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the victims were brought to the hospital by some officials of the city Correctional Centre.
NAN reports that health authorities declared a cholera outbreak in Lagos on June 15, when 436 suspected cases were reported.
NAN also reports that six days later, there were more than 500 suspected cases and 43 confirmed cases, with a case fatality rate of 5.4 percent among suspected cases.
Mr Bakare said six inmates from the centre were taken to the hospital on 9 July at around 7:00 p.m.
According to him, one of the inmates was taken dead while the other died the following morning in the hospital.
“The laboratory test confirmed that they had the disease and they were hospitalized in the hospital's emergency department.
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“The next day another inmate was brought in, bringing the number of patients receiving treatment to five,” he said.
Mr Bakare added that one of the patients had been treated and discharged from hospital.
He said there was a swift response by the Lagos State Ministry of Health to the centre.
“The Ministry has sent monitoring teams consisting of doctors and environmental service officials to the prison and Badagry General Hospital with the necessary medicines.
“They brought intravenous fluids and consumables along with environmental improvement measures and water treatment.
“This has led to a decrease in new cases and notable improvements in the clinical condition of those admitted,” he said.
A NAN correspondent who closely followed the activities at the hospital observed that five inmates of the centre were receiving treatment at the emergency wing of the hospital.
Also at the centre of Awarjigoh ward in Badagry, NAN reports that a doctor was sent from the Ikoyi Correctional Centre to ascertain the incident.
The doctor, who declined to give his name, said none of the inmates tested had the disease.
He said all measures had been taken to curb the outbreak.
(YAYA)