Maiduguri flood: Prof Ahidjo warns against drinking flood water

By Mohammed Kaka Misau

Professor Ahmed Ahidjo, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) has sounded a word of caution to residents of the state to avoid drinking from the flood water.

According to report from Daily Trust, there are fears of radioactive contamination from the radiology laboratory at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), which was reportedly submerged by the flood.

However, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, said it was within acceptable limit.

The CMD advised that people should refrain from using the flood water for drinking.

“We advise that everybody should not use this (flood) water for drinking and should keep away from it for fear of certain infections and some form of chemical effect to the human body”, Daily trust quoted Prof Ahidjo as saying.

The CMD further advised residents against being close to such contaminated water until it is cleansed and fumigated.

“And you know, fumigation is generally for infectious agents not for the chemicals aspect, so one has to be very cautious in coming in contact with this water,” he said.

Ahidjo also admitted that some of the chemicals, drugs and consumables in the hospital were either washed away or contaminated by the flood.

According to him, the initial fear experts we had in the hospital was radioactive contamination.

Prof Ahidjo said some of the machines in the cancer centre are Cobalt-60 (a by-product of nuclear reactor operation) made them to express fears of possible contermination of the flood water.