Deaths in Enugu State have been blamed on people's distrust in the medical system by the state Commissioner for Health, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi.
He disclosed this on Channel Television's Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.
He said that people sought treatments from herbalists and "patent medicine vendors", thinking that they will find solutions.
Obi said, “If people do not report to healthcare systems in the primary healthcare facilities at least, it becomes difficult for infectious diseases surveillance and response to be initiated.
“People stay away from hospitals, thinking that they will get better care from herbalists and from patent medicine vendors sometimes.
“The issues of health-seeking behaviour are real."
Speaking on the deaths recorded in the state, described as "a large number of deaths", Obi said that the deaths are "from probable cases of Yellow fever".
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He said, “We are still calling them deaths from probable cases of Yellow fever.
“We can only confirm two deaths from Yellow Fever. And we have confirmed 19 cases of Yellow Fever, based on the PCR diagnosis.
“The report of strange deaths are ongoing. It is very likely that a lot of the deaths reported may have been from Yellow fever.”
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