One of the survivors of the Ode-Irele methanol poisoning in Ibadan, Mr.
Olorunwa Jero, yesterday, recounted his ordeal in the throes of death.
Jero, a father of six, who is a vulcaniser, narrated: “By the time I was
brought here, I had gone blind. I could not identify my wife, I could
not identify anything. I did not even know when I arrived here. “But I
thank God and the management and staff of University College Hospital,
UCH, for bailing me out. I can see all of you here clearly. I can even
identify the clothes each one of you is putting on.”
The victim commended the teaching hospital for its timely medical
intervention which he said saved his life. Meantime, UCH management,
yesterday, confirmed that five victims of Ode-Irele methanol poisoning
were responding to treatment. The victims were said to have taken the
methanol while consuming a local gin. Confirming that the toxin was
detected in the blood and urine of the victims, Professor Temitope
Alonge, Chief Medical Director, UCH, said the five victims were
transferred to the teaching hospital on April 18 adding that they had
regained their lost sight as a result of taking the chemical.
Alonge, who said this while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, warned
people to be wary of taking local gin so as to avoid s similar
unpleasant experience.
According to the CMD, series of tests were carried out on the victims and the samples of the three drinks they took.
The medical practitioner said: “On April 18, the Consultant Pathologist
with the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Osasan, called to seek the
assistance of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in the management
of five patients who survived the Ode-Irele neuro-toxicity saga who
were completely blind.
‘’We agreed to take over the management of the patients but requested
for the samples of the local gin that were incriminated along the fresh
blood and urine samples of the patients. ‘’I contacted the consultant
neurologist on call, Dr. Steeve Oluwole for a comprehensive evaluation
of the patients because of the clinical presentation of the patients
that had died and the ones that survived since they all pointed to
neurotoxicity".
’In addition, the clinical pharmacologists led by Professor Catherine
Falade, the laboratory scientists and specialists advisers to the
hospital, Professor Segun Ademowo, were all contacted for the
biochemical analyses of the blood of these patients as well as the urine
in addition to the three samples of local gin that was reportedly
consumed by the patients. He added that all the relevant health
personnel worked for almost two weeks before they detected the likely
cause of the neurotoxicity exemplified by sudden blindness and
correlated their findings with the toxicants in the blood, urine and the
local gin samples.
