ARUA, UGANDA: At least four people among the survivors of the toxic gin that claimed 14 lives in Arua city have gone totally blind, with a number of others reporting to have partially lost their sight.
Early this week, police authorities in the west nile region confirmed that City 5 Distillers a local waragi manufacturing factory in Ayivu Division, Arua City was shut down following a series of deaths last weel resulting from consumption of its popular City 5 gin.
The death which started occurring on Friday until Sunday saw up to 14 people dead and several other victims hospitalised in different health centers. A nurse at the Inde health centre III in Madi Okollo District who preferred anonymity to this publication said the patients presented with headaches, backache, restlessness, and difficulties in breathing.
Police spokesperson in the region, Ms. Josephine Angucia on Monday said out of the 14 deaths registered, 7 occurred in Mvara and Oluko suburbs of Arua City while 7 others were registered in Madi Okollo District.
Ms. Angucia further revealed that three people were arrested while the owner of the second manufacturing plant is on the run following its closure.
“As we are investigating, let people first desist from consuming and selling these items until when these investigations are over,” she said.
One of the survivors of this potent gin, Mr. Norman Dradebo, a resident in Arua city and among those to lose their sight has revealed that ever since he took the waragi and got the adverse effects, he cannot now see properly.
“It was at around 8.00 am when I asked whether it was already morning so that I would come out, but inside the house, it was really dark. They were talking to me but I couldn’t see them,” Mr Dradebo said.
Dr. Onesmus Misoa, Ag. Principal Ophthalmology department, Arua Referral Hospital has revealed that 14 people who had been admitted with adverse effects and symptoms have been discharged but a few are experiencing visual impairments and Dradebo is among them.
“These people have now lost their sight, some of them partially, while others are completely blind. Partially means they can still have a degree of vision but not what they used to have,” Dr. Misoa said.
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