Enugu state government said yesterday that nobody is quarantined in the state over the deadly Ebola virus. The State Commissioner of Health, Dr George Eze who made this known while speaking with journalists confirmed that about 20 persons were under surveillance following contact they made with the nurse who attended to the late Patrick Sawyer.
Eze stated that the state government has designated four centres including the Colliery Hospital, the District Hospital in Ikem, General Hospital in Nsukka and Oji River General hospital as isolation centres for victims of the disease.
The government’s clarification came as the state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), expressed displeasure over the poor preparedness and the way in which the state government has responded to the Ebola virus issue.
The association stated that till date, medical workers in the state were still confused on where to send patients with the ailment, stressing that government has paid less attention to procuring protective devices for volunteers and health workers that could enable them attend to the cases.
Eze stated that the nurse that had contact with Sawyer defied medical advice to visit the husband in Enugu, explaining that the government had acted swiftly on receiving the information and ensured that she and the husband were taken back to Lagos.
He stated that the 20 persons placed under surveillance were due to the contact they had with the lady, explaining that they would only be isolated when they begin to manifest symptoms of the virus.
He said: “You do not quarantine somebody who is moving about because it is only when you develop symptoms that you will be able to transmit the virus and that is when you have excess viral load. It was when she came down to Enugu from what we got from her and the husband that she now started having symptoms. It was then that we were informed, we moved in swiftly and provide the wherewithal with support from expatriates that came down from Lagos, we were able to isolate her and decontaminate the house in line with WHO standard and took her back to Lagos.
“Naturally you have to try to track down the contacts anywhere. It is those contacts that have been put under surveillance. They are in their homes and they are placed under surveillance by Centre for Disease Control in Lagos”.
He stated that the panic being expressed over the development was unnecessary, stressing that the disease can only be transmitted by those who have manifested the symptoms which will unlikely be walking about the streets.
On the provision of protective gear and other materials for personnel, he said the state like others have requested for the facilities from the federal government and would ensure that the materials were not fake.
On the information that the lady in question had attended a wedding in Enugu, he said: “If somebody is well enough to attend and enjoy himself in a wedding, it is not going to transmit the virus. It is only when the person has become ill and developed symptoms”.
On why it has taken so long for the Ministry to brief the people of the state on the situation of things regarding the disease, he said that he wanted to ensure that the public were given the right information.
He said the centres earmarked have been provided with facilities such as bed among others, adding that Centre for Disease Control would soon start training volunteers. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Other sources told us, that this lady has been "newly wedded". Could it be excluded that she attended her OWN wedding? What about the statement of Chukwu in Lagos that the lady did not show any symptoms. In this article you say, they did. How to resolve that logically? Do you really contact 6 people in enugu when attending a wedding? How you can exclude infection when attending a wedding. Remind pls: Patrick Sawyer was able to take an intercontfly!
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