Panic in Lagos As 6 more people contracts Ebola virus

9 years ago

Panic in Lagos As 6 more people contracts Ebola virus

Lord, please have mercy on us....According Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, the situation in Nigeria is getting critical as more people are feared to test positive to the killer Ebola virus and 2 of them are now in critical condition.

Already, unconfirmed reports have it that Lagos State Government is planning to setup an Ebola Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, following the facility’s capability to cater for such situation.

“As I am speaking to you this morning, (yesterday) six of the eight contacts that were quarantined have tested positive to Ebola virus, but are not showing signs or symptoms yet.

But they are still being monitored. Right now, they cannot be treated because Nigeria has no specific viral drug, and we cannot use the American viral drug.

“There are efforts now to ensure that the country comes up with possible viral drug within the next month to treat infected Nigerians. For now, we are only boosting their immune systems by giving them healthy foods.

There is problem on ground and we should be doing what is needed to put an end to it.” The on-going doctors strike is also not helping matters as the commissioner has appealed for "volunteer" doctors, nurses to assist in helping out affected victims.

During the press conference that took place yesterday, the Lagos State chapter chairman of the NMA, Dr. Tope Ojo, confirmed that already some doctors in the state have volunteered to join the team of experts managing patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

“Strike or no strike, we must respond to emergencies. Our doctors are at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, where isolated contacts are being monitored. There are seven committees working on the management of the disease at the centre in Lagos and our members are part of of the various committees......

“But the committee where we are having challenges getting volunteers is case management. This is the people that work directly with confirmed and suspected cases. “Look at the protective measures that doctors in Liberia and Guinea wear. They are well protected, yet some of them still caught it.

Our doctors are worried about the danger it poses to their lives and they need to be reassured. We understand their fears and we are making moves to confirm the level of preparedness of the government for doctors.”