Herbal drink consumption: 60 people still in hospital — Ondo commissioner

The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, has confirmed that no fewer than 60 people were still receiving treatment following their consumption of suspected poisonous herbal drinks in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The PUNCH reports that no fewer than 29 residents of two communities in the council area, Araromi-Obu and Odigbo town, were confirmed dead after consuming the substance.

According to the Chairman of the Odigbo Local Government, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, eight lives were earlier lost in Araromi-Obu, while 16 people died in Odigbo, with the death toll later rising to 29.

Ajaka, who spoke at a press conference in Akure, the state capital, on Sunday, said the casualty figures revealed that 95 per cent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55 years.

According to him, the tragic deaths and hospitalisations were recorded across six primary locations: Orita Odigbo, Araromi-Obu, Newtown, Odole, Okele and Oniparaga communities, all in Odigbo LGA.

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He said, “There are many victims. At a point, we had up to 60 people on admission at the hospital. We had so many of them on admission, but some people would not even come. It is a rapid thing. Some people died within two hours. At least, most of them died within 24 hours. It is as serious as that.”

The commissioner explained that the victims presented with severe clinical symptoms, including intense headaches, sharp body pains, extreme weakness, visual impairment, respiratory distress and loss of consciousness, with several patients suffering rapid organ deterioration shortly after exposure.

“The clinical presentation and epidemiological trend strongly point toward exposure to a poisonous alcoholic brew, while laboratory evidence is still being processed to establish the exact chemical culprit, 36 clinical samples of blood and urine, alongside confiscated beverage samples, have been sent for urgent toxicological examination,” he explained.

Ajaka warned residents of the state against consuming unverified or unlicensed alcoholic drinks and urged community leaders to immediately report strange health occurrences or sudden fatalities in their environment.

He advised anyone experiencing blurred vision, breathing difficulty or confusion after consuming alcohol to present themselves at the nearest hospital immediately.