Barely four weeks after the reported deaths of two persons with many others hospitalised in Kano as a result of the consumption of contaminated juice, again the state Ministry of Health has confirmed the death of 10 persons, and 400 on admission in hospitals after taking the killer local juice in the state.
The second wave of the killer juice onslaught came on the heels of the growing fear being expressed by residents of the ancient city that the remaining juice purportedly in circulation may have more adverse effect if persistent effort is not put in place in order to nip its circulation in the bud.
In an audio message, made available to newsmen in Kano on Thursday, Commissioner of Health of the state, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, revealed that no fewer than 10 persons died, as 400 still on admission in hospitals following complications that arose from consumption of the killer drinks in the state.
Tsanyawa added that out of the 400 people being hospitalized, over 50 are currently undergoing kidney related treatment in government hospitals.
He cautioned residents on consumption of such juice mix, especially during the month of Ramadan to avoid catastrophic consequences.
”As you are aware, the Ministry of Health had in the recent past announced the outbreak of a strange disease traceable to the consumption of substandard juices.
“The consumption of these fake and substandard products have telling effects on the kidney, and vital organs of the body. Therefore, i strongly caution you to avoid taking such juice flavours,” he said.
With the Ramadan fast starting almost three days ago , sellers of different types of juice flavour have continued to express apprehension that their business would be adversely affected as tens of thousands of customers were currently running away from it for fear of the unknown despite the fact that avoiding it is the only way out of the catastrophe.
In some of the mosques visited by our correspondent where the annual Ramadan Tafsir is taking place , many of the preachers were heard telling the faithful to take extra precautionary steps in avoiding the consumption of juice any how , considering the precarious nature of the situation, whereby innocent customers got trapped in the fog of the killer juice.
Speaking on the dismal development, a Muslim worshipper attending Tafsir at the famous Waje Central mosque, said the circulation of the fake juice has exposed the excessive greed of those who want to get rich easily at the expense of those who knew nothing about the deadly nature of the juice adding that it would be counter-productive for one to get an ill-gotten wealth by employing a sinister means.
According to him, it is the sole responsibility of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration(NAFDAC) and the Consumer Protection Council(CPC) to take proactive steps aimed at heavily descending on the perpetrators of the evil act for peoples’ health to be safeguarded by the government.affirming that beaming the regulatory bodies’ searchlight on all the where houses in Kano and confiscating the juice stocked in them would stem the tide of disposing it in the markets.
He called on marketers of the killer juice to have the fear of God stressing that they have no justification for them to throw caution to the wind , simply because they have the penchant to make brisk business.