Police retrieve body of ‘Ebola’ suspect

Police retrieve body of ‘Ebola’ suspect

Choma, October  17, 2014,ZANIS…The body of a 59 year old Zimbabwean national who was found dead in his truck yesterday has been taken to Choma general hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

Police have named the deceased as China Maduma whose body could not be removed until health personnel undertook an intensive spraying exercise to allay fears of any possible transmittable disease especially bola as he was traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC which has previously recorded Ebola cases.

Southern Province deputy commissioner of Police Milner Muyambango who confirmed this to ZANIS news in Choma today said the body was removed around 20:30 hours last night with the support of health personnel.

He said the police only managed to remove the body after adequate spraying was conducted by medical personnel from the Choma general hospital to disinfect the area of any possible transmittable diseases.

“The body of the Zimbabwean truck driver was removed by the Police who were assisted with protective clothing from the Ministry of Health”, he said

Mr Muyambango said the relatives of the deceased from Zimbabwe were contacted through another truck driver and are expected to arrive in Zambia today.

He said the exact cause of the deceased’s death has not yet been established as the post-mortem to determine shall only be conducted in the presence of his family.

The deceased is reported to have arrived in Choma on the night of October 15th 2014 from the Democratic Republic of Congo and was found dead in his truck  mid-morning of yesterday October 16.

However, the death  was yesterday reported to  have been a suspected Ebola case as the victim was travelling from an Ebola affected country .

Southern province medical health officer Jelita Chinyonga  however disputed the suspicion.