Rumour in Bamenda links death of US soldier to Ebola

Rumour linking the dreaded Ebola Fever to the death in Bamenda of a certain U.S soldier, Clement Bongham, is not helping matters ahead of funeral arrangements.

The rumour is on the internet, on the streets and in some church houses in metropolitan Bamenda that the Ebola virus sent Clement to the world beyond when he died at the Regional hospital on October, 30, 2014.

As at press time, the corpse was still at the mortuary of the Regional hospital while the rounds of rumour continued to rock the city and its neighbourhoods.

Late Clement’s wife and children are said to be in the United States of America (USA) but relatives and friends continue to file out at their Ndamukong-Bamenda family home with condolence messages.

In effect, Clement’s father, Bongham Odilos Ndze and mother, Yayie Ngeh Beata are at a loss about the rumour. Clement’s elder brother, Godwin Bongham has been scratching his hair without answers as to why people would choose the evil of propagating falsehood. He is categorical that the death certificate which they were served at the Regional hospital does not associate Ebola with the death of Clement, the fifth in a family of seven.

Away from the family, the hierarchy of the Bamenda Regional hospital has answers to what killed the soldier. The Director, Dr. Kingue Thompson Njie told Cameroon Tribune, “it was severe malaria”. He revealed that the patient was rushed to the hospital with signs of fever, fatigue and yellowish eyes.

Prior to admission, his medical records revealed that he had been properly treated of dysentery. He was vomiting and showcased loose stool and that is perhaps why people linked it to Ebola. Laboratory results confirmed severe malaria.

It is against this backdrop that Dr. Kingue Thompson Njie advised the population against the temptation of believing rumour, saying that the Regional hospital will not hesitate to communicate and handle any case of Ebola.