MWANZA.The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is waiting for test results of samples sent to Nairobi to establish the controversial death of Bertha Boniphace, 25, who was admitted to Geita District Hospital in Geita Region, after wide speculations that she was suffering from Ebola.
The deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Steven Kebwe, told The Citizen yesterday, that the samples were sent to the Kenyan capital as directed by the World Health Organisation (Who).
“The samples were sent to Nairobi to establish the actual cause of her death…we are following international procedures and according to the Who, they can only do sample diagnosis at their labs located in Nairobi to find out what disease she was exactly suffering from…we hope that we will get the results by next week,” noted Dr Kebwe.
“However, I can assure you that the deceased was not suffering from Ebola because if it was so, then others, especially those who were attending to her at home would have been infected as well,” he said.
Controversy still surrounds the death of Bertha who was admitted to Geita District Hospital and died after some days. Geita residents speculated that she was suffering from Ebola although the regional health department strongly refuted the allegations.
Explaining on the shocking incident, the district’s medical officer, Dr Noel Makuza, said the patient from Katoro Village experienced severe diarrhoea and was frequently vomiting. She was also bleeding through the mouth and nose.
Dr Makuza said initial diagnosis revealed that Bertha was suffering from malaria. “As days passed, the patient started to develop what we technically call viral haemorrhagic fever (very high fever) like that of dengue or rift valley fever,” the doctor said.
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