Ebola: US Commends Nigeria as Four More Patients are Discharged

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPW0v8xYpxt8h-SFOrJGzl_tG7gq12wNfGjmWpvHjahFjWgv8tRpkuPvuHkVmsPGODd6czVV8KXtmfi9OJjtWG_ihtPhRDDWobObt47lnZafsqmg_SGEBBo02E6qsljOb-KsDUgSeMio/s1600/Onyebuchi-Chukwu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPW0v8xYpxt8h-SFOrJGzl_tG7gq12wNfGjmWpvHjahFjWgv8tRpkuPvuHkVmsPGODd6czVV8KXtmfi9OJjtWG_ihtPhRDDWobObt47lnZafsqmg_SGEBBo02E6qsljOb-KsDUgSeMio/s1600/Onyebuchi-Chukwu.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" /></span></a></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Health Minister</em></div> <ul> <li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Rules out sending trial drug</span></li> <li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Two new persons in Lagos, one in Kaduna placed under watch </span></li> <li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> WHO: All outbound travellers must be screened</span></li> </ul> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The US government has commended the Nigerian government and its health authorities for their handling of the Ebola virus since it broke in Lagos last month.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The US’ commendation came on the back of more good news yesterday that four more patients who had contracted the disease had been discharged and declared free of the infectious disease.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With their discharge, this brings the total number of people who have been given the all clear to five.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A total of 12 people were struck with the virus in Nigeria, including the index case Patrick Sawyer, of which four have died, five have been discharged while three remain in the isolation ward at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, all hopes that the US would send the ZMapp experimental drug to Nigeria were dimmed yesterday when the US government ruled out the possibility, saying there were insufficient quantities of the drug available.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Making this known when he visited the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, in Abuja, the US</span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em><strong></strong></em><a href="" name="more"></a>Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, informed reporters that what was needed was to focus primarily on isolation and the screening of patients or those suspected to have contracted the virus.</span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to Entwistle: “We’ll see down the road what is possible. But there are no huge quantities now. And we think the focus now needs to be on exactly what you are doing: the isolation wards, screening, and especially important that now your government is doing a very good job on this, that is contact tracing.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The envoy said he just came back from the US late last week, adding, “I was in Washington, of course, for the US-African Leaders Summit and I came over to see the minister right away as soon as I got back into town to discuss our anti-Ebola cooperation.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I was in the room in Washington when Vice President (Joe) Biden and President (Goodluck) Jonathan talked about the Ebola crisis, talked about our partnership, and pledged the total cooperation between your government and my government on this issue.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“So I just came over to see the minister this morning to talk to him about that and you’ve all seen the headlines over the weekend. This is an issue where we have to keep working hard. It may last for a while but there are some encouraging signs.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), I understand, is working well. The isolation ward, I understand, is working well. So this is an example we have, as part of the broad partnership between our two countries, just keep collaborating and cooperating and keep working hard.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While commending Nigeria for effectively curtailing the spread of the Ebola virus, Entwistle stated: “I noticed that when I flew back on Thursday night into this country, before I left the plane, I filled out a questionnaire.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I was very impressed because I even had to put my seat number which is a very good idea. So if you ever have to trace the guy sitting next to me you know where I am. So I have been impressed by these things and I encourage the government of Nigeria to keep at it as I know they will.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I always say we have a broad partnership between our two countries which means we do things together as equals to make the world a better place. I can’t think of a more important example today than our Ebola cooperation.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chukwu, on his part, said the visit came at the right time considering the need for collaboration between the two countries, specifically on the Ebola virus.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chukwu said as the representative of the US government, the envoy will assist in various ways in the prevention of the virus from spreading further.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The minister referred to the US ambassador as the spokesperson for the US government in Nigeria, adding, “So he came to me as the chief public health officer of the country, because that is what the Minister of Health is, to exchange views with me on the collaboration with America.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Four Patients Discharged</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The minister also disclosed that four additional patients were yesterday discharged and declared free of the infectious disease.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a statement in Abuja, Chukwu said the development was a good omen for Nigeria, taking into cognisance the devastation the virus had caused in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media and Communication, Dan Nwomeh, stated that the “Minister of Health has announced that four additional confirmed cases of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which have been managed successfully, and are now disease-free and have been discharged to go home today (yesterday)”.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It added that the discharged patients included two male medical doctors and one female nurse.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The three participated in the treatment of the index case while the fourth person was a female patient at the time the index case was on admission.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“This brings to five the total number of patients diagnosed with the Ebola Virus Disease who have now been discharged from hospital,” it explained.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Three under Surveillance</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, giving an update, the Lagos State Government yesterday confirmed the discharge of the four patients, but revealed that three more persons had been placed under surveillance to ascertain whether they would show symptoms of the disease.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, made the disclosure last night at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, stating: “We have four more patients that are ready to be discharged today (yesterday).</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“They have gone through the same protocol. The protocol is that before we release anyone or certify him or her negative, he or she has to be symptom-free for a period of over three weeks.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We also had to test their blood samples and the result was negative. They will be released today after they have completed their counseling being conducted by our psychosocial team. But they will come periodically for check-ups, though they are okay.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The other three patients are still being monitored at the isolation centre. Once they get better, they will be released. The lady who ran to Enugu is still under isolation and she has tested positive to the virus.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On those under surveillance, Idris said the new cases had been discovered. “One of them is a blood sample from Kaduna while two others are from Lagos. They are primary contacts. On the Kaduna case, the reason for this is that they do not have the laboratory to test for the virus.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Four persons have died already, including the index case, Mr. Patrick Sawyer. We had eight in the isolation ward before Saturday when we released the doctor. This doctor was released after testing negative and going through the WHO and CDC procedures for discharge.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Idris maintained that there have been 12 confirmed cases, which he said included the index case, noting that all the cases that had been confirmed positive and those who had died were linked to the index case.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He also disclosed that more medical personnel had shown interest “to care for the patients. We have eight doctors and nine nurses and some health workers who have gone through training.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We have also been joined by infectious disease experts from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). All these people have gone through training. Though the number is not enough as we need more”.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NLC Opposes Doctors’ Dismissal</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But as Nigeria made inroads in its fight against the virus, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) criticised the federal government’s dismissal of resident doctors in federal hospitals.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NLC, in a statement yesterday by its president, Abdulwaheed Omar, said it was ill-advised and urged government to reconsider its stand in view of the prevailing health challenges in the coutry.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The union pointed out that no country could afford to neglect its health sector, including the personnel that work there during trying times.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It emphasised that what the country needed urgently was the recruitment of more health professionals, well equipped public hospitals, and a well organised health system capable of responding to the health concerns of Nigeria’s growing population.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We believe the federal government was misadvised and also misled by this action. It is clearly unwarranted to sack doctors just as we are collectively faced with the challenge of the Ebola virus. It is even more dangerous to sack medical personnel in a country of over 170 million people with a ratio of one doctor to over five thousand patients.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“What the country needs urgently is recruitment of more health professionals, well equipped public hospitals, and a well organised health system, and not sacking of any category of health personnel,” the NLC said.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It urged the federal government to carry out an urgent audit of the public health sector to determine the state of the sector in terms of equipment, personnel and funding.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“While workers and indeed all Nigerians are at great risk and require adequate protection, those in the medical sector should particularly be sufficiently equipped and given incentives to guarantee their safety and boost morale.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“No country can afford, especially in these trying times, to neglect its health sector, including the personnel that work there,” the statement added.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Doctors Protest</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The NLC’s position was given fillip by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Lagos and Ondo States whose members embarked on peaceful protests against the government’s sack of the resident doctors.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lagos State NMA chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo, who led his colleagues on the protest at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said a reversal of the mass sacking was the only thing that could make discussions with government continue on the strike.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said this was an important step for NMA to continue to dialogue with the government, adding that doctors should not feel threatened by the sack.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ojo said doctors were not asking for an increment in their salary but a better healthcare delivery system.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The country’s universal health coverage is inadequate as it only covers 30 per cent of the people. We want this for everybody, irrespective of age and class in the society,” he added.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The NMA chair also urged the government to lift the ban on residency training so that medical education can continue to grow like those of the United Kingdom and the US.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also speaking, the Second Vice President, Lagos State branch of NMA, Dr. Olusegun Akinwotu, said resident doctors constituted about 60 per cent of the medical workforce, adding that sacking them would mean killing the patients who require their services.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Also government’s handling of the issue is not encouraging as resident doctors join consultants during surgery. They also impart knowledge on to house officers,” he said.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speaking to the protesters, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of LUTH, Prof Akin Osibogun, represented by the hospital’s Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof Chris Bode, said they should go about their complaints peacefully.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said the situation called for sober reflection and moderation. “We are doctors and it is expected of us to be of high moral conduct. We must not constitute a danger to the public,” Osibogun said.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NMA presented a letter stating their demands to the CMD for onward transmission to the health minister.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Similarly, doctors in Ondo State under the auspices of NMA demanded the recall 16,000 resident doctors sacked by the federal government before they could return to the negotiating table with the government to end their strike.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The chairman of the state chapter, Dr. Bamidele Betiku, said the decision of the federal government would make the country lack specialised doctors and make adequate healthcare delivery elusive to the masses.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The doctors, who marched from the NMA secretariat along Igbatoro Road to the governor's office in Alagbaka, Akure, sang solidarity songs while the protest lasted.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Also, the Cross River State chapter of NMA equated the sack of the resident doctors with the closure of all federal medical institutions in the country.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NMA in the state said the sacking of the resident doctors, by implication, was the consequential sack of about 64,000 of its members.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr. Calistus Enyuma, a consultant pediatrician, at a press briefing in Calabar, said: “As it stands, the federal government suspended the training of resident doctors; that means the government has closed down teaching hospitals, closed down medical schools, and the implication is that you have sacked over 64,000 doctors throughout Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It happened during the (Muhammadu) Burari regime in 1984 and we had the brain drain and you can guess what will happen in the next few months.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the current strike embarked on by the NMA, he said: “Our appeal to the federal government is to negotiate with the NMA to bring sanity to the health sector.”</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">EU Border Agency Suspends Migrant Flights</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a related incident, the European Union (EU) border agency, Frontex, said yesterday it had suspended flights taking migrants back to Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We have decided to indefinitely suspend those flights that we coordinate and co-finance to Nigeria,” Frontex spokeswoman, Ewa Moncure told AFP.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Warsaw-based agency only handles around two per cent of all flights carrying migrants who have crossed into the EU back home. The EU countries in question handle the rest.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Last year, 160,000 such migrants were sent back to their home countries, mainly to Albania, India, Pakistan and Russia.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Certain countries, notably Austria, have taken a similar decision” to suspend flights to countries affected by the deadly Ebola virus, Moncure said.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The current Ebola outbreak, the worst since the virus first appeared in 1976, has claimed 1,145 lives including four in Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">WHO: All Outbound Travellers Must be Screened</strong></div> </strong><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised authorities in countries struck with Ebola to screen all travellers departing at international airports, seaports and major border crossings.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A statement issued by the UN health agency recommended that people with any sign of the virus should be stopped from travelling.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The agency reiterated that the risk of getting infected with Ebola on an aircraft was small and said there was no need for wider travel or trade restrictions, reported the Reuters news agency.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Affected countries are requested to conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Any person with an illness consistent with EVD should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation,” the statement said.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nigeria’s health minister had on August 7 announced that all outbound passengers from the country would be screened.</span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The precautionary measure was taken after the disease was imported into Nigeria from Liberia on July 20.</span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Source: ThisDay</i></div> </div>

Ebola: US Commends Nigeria as Four More Patients are Discharged

Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Health Minister  Rules out sending trial drug  Two new persons in Lagos, one in Kaduna placed under watch   W...

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Ebola now national emergency – Health Minister

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <br /> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">L</span><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AGOS —</span> FOLLOWING the death of the matron that was one of the primary contacts of the late American-Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who died recently of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Lagos, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has described the presence of Ebola in the country as a national emergency.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Chukwu made this known when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Health. He said: “The fact that a Liberian victim of the disease, Mr. Patrick Sawyer could come and die in Nigeria meant that the virus was a global threat.<br style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/?attachment_id=458371" rel="attachment wp-att-458371" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; border: 0px; color: #0a67b3; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="ebola11" class="alignright size-full wp-image-458371" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ebola11.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; display: inline; float: right; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></a><br style="line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />“This is a national emergency. Everyone in the world today is at risk. The experience of Nigeria opens the eyes of the world,” he said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> In Lagos, the state government has appealed to religious organizations including churches and mosques to step down on congregational activities that will bring a large number of worshippers together.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Making the appeal in Lagos, yesterday, while confirming the matron’s death as the first Nigerian fatality of EVD, state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said the appeal became necessary in the wake of heightened anxiety over the threat posed by the Ebola virus which is transmitted from human-to-human by body contact.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Stressing that the female doctor who tested positive to the virus initially, is still alive, while six other contacts have since tested positive,  Idris, who outlined the move as one of the measures being taken by government to address the situation said:  “I seize this opportunity to appeal to Churches and Mosques to stop all religious gatherings, so as to prevent further spread of the virus .”  He explained that at such gatherings, sweating and body contacts were most likely to occur.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The appeal came on the heels of an announcement by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, banning delegates from EVD-affected West African nations, from attending the church’s ongoing convention, which opened Monday night at the church’s Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Addressing a capacity crowd at the convention, Adeboye expressed regret over the decision to bar members of the Church in the affected nations but prayed that God would soon arrest the situation.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The development came two days after a Nigerian female doctor tested positive to the Ebola virus.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Earlier, in Abuja, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, while announcing the death of the nurse at a press briefing, said: “Yesterday (Tuesday), August 5, 2014, the first known Nigerian to die of the EVD was recorded and this was one of the nurses that attended to the Liberian. The other five cases are currently being treated at the isolation ward in Lagos.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Nigeria has now recorded seven confirmed cases of Ebola virus. The first one was the index case – the imported case from Liberia of which the victim is now late.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “All the Nigerians diagnosed of the Ebola virus were primary contacts of the index case.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “The 24/7 Emergency Operation Centre which I intimated you of in my last press conference will be fully functional tomorrow (today).</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “It will be headed by Dr. Faisal Shuaibu as the Incident Manager.  He will later today (yesterday) lead a six-man inter-agency team drawn from National Primary Health Care Development Agency,  NPHCDA, the US CDC,  the WHO, UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Lagos to complete the setting up of the Centre.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The team includes medical personnel from the Lagos State Government and experts from federal hospitals in the Lagos area as well as the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Already, government has appointed a Director of Communication and Community Mobilization , Prof. O. Onajole, of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. He will be based in Lagos.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Chukwu noted that government is embarking on recruiting additional health personnel to strengthen the team who are currently managing the situation in Lagos.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He said there were plans to procure relevant equipment for management of the patients.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We are making arrangements to procure isolation tents to quicken the pace of providing isolation wards in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Terrority.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Government is also setting up a special team to provide counselling and psychological support to patients, identified contacts and their families.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Two contacts in critical condition</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> In Lagos, the state government confirmed that two of the primary contacts who tested positive to EVD, are in critical condition. The government also announced life insurance cover for doctors and other health workers who volunteer to work with experts monitoring and testing suspected and confirmed cases of EVD.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Giving an update of the response in Lagos, Idris, who described the situation as extremely dire, explained that the late nurse died at 2:06 pm on Tuesday, making her the first Nigerian to have died of the deadly disease.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Further, he explained that the late nurse was admitted at a critical stage and was said to have had direct contact with the late Sawyer.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Urgent need for volunteer health workers</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vanguard</span> gathered that presently, the state government is facing acute shortage of medical experts including doctors and health workers needed to attend to those that have been infected and those that will be isolated for monitoring.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We need more hands, because we have moved from the stage of primary contacts to secondary contacts. More volunteers are urgently needed especially contact trackers and case management personnel.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Government is willing to take care of such volunteers especially in the following areas- safety to personal health; life insurance cover and whatever genuine need/assurance that may also be required,” the commissioner stated.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Stressing that the situation is quite critical, Idris assured: “We will provide life insurance for any doctor, nurse and other expert that wants to work with isolated patients. We are tracing all the people that had contact not just with Sawyer, but those that had contacts with the health workers and others that have died.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We need volunteers now, and this is needed urgently to assist in tracking the contacts and to manage those who were already in isolation. This is the only way we can give those who have the virus the opportunity to survive.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We need doctors, nurses and environmental health workers. Because this is a serious issue, the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration has accepted to give whatever those whom I mentioned earlier demanded for including life insurance.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “I can assure them of safety, and we will put them through the entire necessary prerequisite for safety.  If we cannot provide the needed health workers within the country to manage the cases, foreigners will be unwilling to help.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Already, it was gathered that government has begun the process of  life insurance cover with an insurance company.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Explaining why more hands are needed urgently, Idris said 27 secondary contacts have been identified and addresses of others are being traced.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “It is a tedious task, because we will also be taking their blood samples for testing and we will be monitoring them.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Appealing to doctors to call off their strike, he said it will be morally unjustifiable for Nigeria to seek assistance from foreign medical practitioners when the country’s local doctors are unwilling to render services.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We are appealing to the doctors on strike to resume work and set aside their grievances. No doubt this situation is a dire emergency and our health professionals must recognize that.  It will be morally unjustifiable for us to call for help from the international community if our own experts and doctors are not working.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cases so far</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He explained that “of the 70 persons, results of five out of eight blood samples taken have been received with four testing positive while the fifth was negative, one died out of the eight, two critically ill and results of three still outstanding.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Medical</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">equipment</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Further, the state government called on businessmen not to hike prices of materials needed for health workers to carry out their operations in the course of managing victims of the virus. Materials such as gloves, decontamination equipment, chemicals and sanitizers are not expected to be cashed-in upon.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> On managing positive cases, he said the treatment given to the patient depends on the symptom being developed by the patient. He explained further that the treatment was supportive for the patients.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Call for vigilance</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Calling for vigilance, Idris reiterated:  “Once again I allay the fears of health workers who have the requisite expertise needed to manage these confirmed and probable cases. This is a call for vigilance as human-to-human transmission is only achieved by physical contact with a person who is acutely and gravely ill (fever being a key sign) from Ebola virus through body fluids such as blood, urine, stool, saliva, breast milk, semen, and vomitus.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “In Africa, infection has also occurred through handling of infected chimpanzees, monkeys, gorillas, fruit bats, antelopes and porcupines. No case of transmission by domestic animals has been reported.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Warning on</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> burials</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The state government has also urged the public to approach burial ceremonies and handling of corpses in line with recommendations of the World Health Organisation, WHO, for handling bodies of victims of EVD.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Burial ceremonies where mourners including family members have direct contact with patients who died of Ebola have also played a role in the spread and direct contact with dead bodies should be minimized at this period, even as washing and burial /disposal of such bodies should be professionally handled with safety to personal health of handlers being a cardinal focus.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We also count on the cooperation of the good people of Lagos State. In partnership with the Federal Government we may need to, in the course of taking decisions in the overriding interest of the public, institute measures that may be inconvenient to some people.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ebola Unit</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">at LASUTH</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He explained that if government needs to bring suspected cases of Ebola to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, “we will do it because these are suspects and they cannot be left in the communities for even greater risks.  We are weighing all options now, he added.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Debunking rumours making the rounds, Idris explained that government is doing what is needed to save lives of the people already infected and also to stop the spread.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Evacuation of TB patients</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Idris said plans are on to evacuate tuberculosis patients receiving treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba to another hospital in order to accommodate more suspected and isolated EVD cases.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “The TB patients at Mainland Hospital were protesting this morning but we appealed to them, that if they stay there they may be exposed and get infected.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “ If we need to evacuate any hospital to ensure that we contain this disease, we will do it. If we have to take suspected cases to LASUTH, we will do it. If we need to take decisions that will be inconvenient for some people but beneficial to the larger population, we will do it. Ebola is a highly infectious disease. We will do it to contain it.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">Confirmed contact</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> On why the primary contacts were heavily infected, he explained that initially the workers were not adequately kitted and the late Liberian victim was economical with the truth.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “We never knew that late Patrick (Sawyer) was already under surveillance in his country. It was later we gathered that he was already advised not to travel and the health workers were not adequately kitted.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Idris said that the government has applied the World Health Organization, WHO procedures to handling body of corpse who died of the virus.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">Minister briefs House</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Meanwhile, the Federal Government is awaiting the response of the request it made last night to the Centre for Disease Control, CDC, in the US, for the unapproved Ebola drug ZMapp to treat affected persons in Nigeria.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Describing the presence of Ebola as a national emergency, Minister of Health, Prof Chukwu , who appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Health, stated that the fact that a Liberian victim of the disease, Mr. Patrick Sawyer could come and die in Nigeria meant that the virus was a global threat.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “This is a national emergency. Everyone in the world today is at risk. The experience of Nigeria opens the eyes of the world,” he said, noting that the research credited to the former chairman of INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu on bitter kola in the US was inconclusive and therefore could not be authenticated as a cure for the disease.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Also speaking at the hearing, the Director-General, Nigerian Center for Disease Control, Abdusalam Nasidi revealed that 70 Nigerians in the course of their official duties were suspected to have directly or indirectly had contact with the American-Liberian, Sawyer.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He said there were 39 hospital contacts, nine laboratory scientists contact and 22 airport contacts. He said that the people were under strict surveillance.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">  <span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em;">NANNM reacts</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Reacting to the development, erstwhile leader of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Olufemi Rasheed Tonade said the association would not allow its members to sign a death warrant.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “The death of the nurse is quite unfortunate, pathetic and painful. This brings to the fore what we are saying about our governments and the health system. Nigerian government has not addressed basic needs in the health system.  As leaders of the people in the health industry, we will not allow government of Nigeria to deceive anybody that they have equipment. We have concluded that we are not going to sign a death warrant.  We believe that if government cannot resolve basic health needs, let alone Ebola which is a very serious health hazard that has shut down the whole of Liberia and about to shut down other West African countries.”</div> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 15px;">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ebola-now-national-emergency-health-minister/#sthash.iIqW5uew.dpuf</span></div>

Ebola now national emergency – Health Minister

L AGOS —  FOLLOWING the death of the matron that was one of the primary contacts of the late American-Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who ...

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