According to the reports coming from the dailies , we have recorded ten confirmed cases of Ebola in Nigeria. And trust me, this are only known cases. I know my country men and women , they will rather die at home, hiding the ailment instead of being used as public spectacle. On the day Patrick Sawyer came to Nigeria, some people sat close to him in that plane. He shook the hand of the a Nigeria Airports attendants am sure , may be he did it with his sweat. He was rushed to the hospital, taken in a vehicle, nurses plus hospital attendants attended to him. This same people went back to their homes, stayed with their family, who in turn related with friends . The mortuary attendants touched him, went back home, shook friends, related with families . With the type of health system we have, Nigeria, there is trouble. Without raising any alarm, there exist enough evidence to he extra careful and above all prayerful. See the report below
10 Ebola cases now in Nigeria As Newly-married Nigerian nurse contracts Ebola !newly-wedded Nigerian nurse has been infected with the deadly Ebola virus.This brings to 10 the number of persons infected with the killer disease in the country, including the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, who imported the disease. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.Fielding questions from journalists, the minister spoke on the possibility the nurse might have infected her husband with the killer virus.He said: “That is why the husband is at present under surveillance.” Chukwu also said that the couple was newly-married and that they lived alone.He also explained how medical team responded to those suspected to have contact with persons tested positive to the disease, including the index case in the country. “Yes, that is the problem.But all the people are placed under surveillance, using WHO protocol, are in their houses. But when we quarantine you, you move out of your house. When we isolate you, then it is a different sub-group. So, we have surveillance, quarantine and we have isolation.They mean different things. “Now, the people who are on surveillance don’t have any symptom at all. We are visiting them on daily basis. That somebody is in her husband’s house doesn’t mean the person is not under surveillance,” he added.He stressed that other persons that tested positive to the disease were being treated in Lagos State and that only one Nigerian nurse had died of the disease with the Liberian Sawyer brought the virus into the country 23 days ago.The minister confirmed media reports that the late Liberian sneaked out from his country while under surveillance to attend an ECOWAS-sponsored programme in Calabar, Cross River State.He, however, debunked insinuations that Sawyer brought the disease into the country as a deliberate act to inflict pains on the Nigerians. Chukwu, had on Friday told journalists in Lagos that 139 persons were under surveillance over the disease.The newly-wed nurse was confirmed by medical officials to have been tested positive to the disease, the minister said.He also said that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved the National Ebola Virus Disease Emergency Containment Plan with the immediate cash backing of N1.9bn.“The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies, works very closely with the World Health Organisation, WHO, UNICEF, the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, local authorities and other international partners to further deepen and broaden these containment efforts,” he added.“It has been 22 days since EVD first landed in Nigeria. As at today, 177 primary and secondary contacts of the index case have been placed under surveillance or isolation.“Of this figure, nine developed EVD, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 10. Of these 10, two have died (the Liberian- American and the Nigerian nurse) while eight are alive and currently on treatment.“The Liberian government has expressed its deepest sympathies and regrets that Sawyer had even embarked on this tragic journey, which has brought needless sufferings, death and has placed an unnecessary stress on our health system.“In the same spirit, we share in solidarity, the grief of the governments and people of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone as we confront this challenge together,” the minister said.In Bayelsa State, Governor Seriake Dickson has inaugurated an 18-member committee, just as 103 surveillance centres have been set up in all the local government areas.This, the governor said, was part of preventive measures to checkmate any outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the state.He, however, added that government would continue to create awareness and sensitise the people of the state to imbibe the culture of personal hygiene.Dickson also said that the state had not recorded any reported case of the virus, stressing that in the event of any outbreak, the state government had the capacity to deal with it.According to the governor, in view of the high fatality rate associated with the scourge, there is need to treat it as a national security issue and government will provide all the support that the committee requires to function optimally.Dickson, who called on the people, particularly community and opinion leaders, to be watchful for suspected patients with the Ebola symptoms, commended President Jonathan for the urgent steps taken to check the spread of the dreaded disease.He, however, advised the people against ingesting any unorthodox substances like drinking and bathing with salt water, saying two people had already died and others hospitalised from such practices.The Chairman of the 18-member Committee on Bayelsa State Task Force on Ebola Virus, Dr. Ayebatonye Owei, highlighted measures taken to include mass sensitisation of the people, public enlightenment campaign in the rural areas, Federal Medical Centre and the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital designated as centres with isolation wards prepared for the management of the disease. In addition, helplines that are toll free have been introduced.The lines are (09033107050), (09033148929), (08117168685) and (07010008755) arrangement has also being made for the procurement of tents and protective equipment for health personnel.Also, the committee intends to map out a programme to train medical personnel on the management of Ebola, produce materials to be distributed to crowded places, including marketplaces and churches as well as direct private health institutions on the need to have isolated wards for the disease.NSA warned health ministry before Sawyer’s visitIndications have emerged that the Office of the National Security Adviser warned the Office of the Minister of Health of the grave implications of the Ebola virus to national security and the need for steps to be taken 10 days before the infamous visit of the Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, to Lagos.The NSA office in a letter dated July 10, 2014 alerted to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to the need to follow a guideline against the Ebola virus, which according to the letter, was at the ‘doorstep of the country.’It was stated in the letter with ref. no. NSA/A/208/C, signed by a senior officer in the NSA’s office, Brig. Gen. TT Waya (retd.), that the guideline was meant to provide a working plan to guide the health ministry to take proactive steps to combat any possible outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.Waya stated further in the letter that the guideline was to further aid the minister to give necessary warnings and information to the citizenry as regards the Ebola threat.It was also learnt that the ministry, the NSA’s office and the Presidential Communication, Command and Control at the State House were to hold joint briefings on the Ebola issue.However, investigations revealed that the Plan of Action was yet to be followed 10 days before the sick Sawyer visited the country and infected health workers and others with the deadly virus.The guidelines, presented in a summary form under the topic ‘Crisis Management Guidelines for Pandemics- Ebola’, attached as Annex ‘A’ to the letter, included three major areas: General Information, Communication and Looking Ahead.Items listed under General Information include Introduction, History of Ebola, The West African Pandemic, Contingency Planning, Risk Analysis, Being Better Prepared, The Response Plans, Reinforcing the Crisis Response, Management of Information and Creation of Joint Communication Centre.The guidelines also include the national response, communications with stakeholders, the role of the social media and local and international media.The letter alerted the minister of the outbreak of the deadly virus and its high fatality figure in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It said 367 persons out of a total of 600 infected died as at June 26, 2014, according to World Health Organisation reports.It was observed further that a reported case of Ebola in Ghana called for steps to be taken in the event of an incident in the country.The NSA latter read in part, “Last week, there was an isolated case reported in Ghana. With this development, Ebola disease could be said to be on Nigeria’s doorstep.“An outbreak of the disease in Nigeria would obviously have security implications. Consequently, I am directed to forward to you the crisis Management Guidelines for your Ministry’s preparedness and response to an eventual outbreak of the disease.“The guidelines will assist the Hon. Minister in preparing a working plan to deal with the outbreak as well as to warn and inform the public among others.”
No comments:
Post a Comment