Three people – a doctor, a pharmacist and another person – among those who had primary contact with the late Dr. Ikechukwu Sam Enemuo, the first Ebola victim in Rivers State, have been quarantined after showing symptoms of the virus.
The results of their tests are, however, still being awaited. The late doctor Emenuo’s widow, who has tested positive to the virus, is receiving treatment in Lagos.
Rivers State Commissioner for Health Dr. Sampson Parker broke the news yesterday in an update on the outbreak of Ebola in Port Harcourt, Nigeria’s major oil hub and the second city after Lagos to be hit by the virus in Nigeria.
The late Dr. Enemuo contracted the virus and died on August 22 in Port Harcourt. He became the sixth Nigerian to die of the virus after secretly treating a Nigerian official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Oluibukun Koye, in a hotel in Port Harcourt.
Koye, who contracted Ebola after having primary contact with the Index case in Nigeria Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer, escaped from quarantine in Lagos to Port Harcourt where he was treated by Dr. Enemuo.
While Koye is free of the virus, Dr. Enemuo, Chief Medical Director of Samsteel Hospital in Rumuokoro, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, died of the virus.
He was the third medical doctor to die of the virus.
The commissioner said the doctor and pharmacist started managing Enemuo’s case at his hospital, before he was moved to Good Hart Hospital, where he died.
Also moved to the quarantine centre, according to the commissioner, is a patient who was on admission at the Good Hart Hospital where Enemuo was admitted until he died. Results of their samples were being awaited.
The commissioner said 50 among the 200 people on the contact tracing list are classified to be high risk while 60 of them could not be reached even on the telephone. Some of them, he said, are people who had direct contact with Dr. Enemuo at his hospital after he contracted the virus.
Parker announced other measures taken by the Rivers State Government to include: banning movement of bodies within and outside the state, bagging of Dr. Enemuo’s body and decontaminating the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital morgue and the attendants placed under watch; a meeting by Governor Chibuike Amaechi with religious leaders today and traditional rulers tomorrow, to sensitise them and mobilise them on how to educate their followers and subjects on the virus.
The commissioner assured residents of the governments’ readiness to fight the disease in collaboration with the Federal Government’s Ebola Emergency Response team and international agencies and NGOs, including, WHO and Doctors Without Border (MSF).
He warned against unnecessary body contacts and indiscriminate laying of hands on people by religious leaders.
Parker said: “Anyone that had any form of contact with the late Dr. Enemuo should please come up; Ebola is curable if diagnosed early, people have survived it and more people will. So, there is no need to run away.
“It is important that churches close their secret admission wards in their various places of worship. Some of them are running into churches and pastors are laying hands on them, it is wrong even on their and family’s health.
“Movement of bodies within and outside the state must be supervised. Death certificates must be produced to ascertain the cause of death and the state Ministry of Health must give approval before a body is allowed to move.
“The UPTH morgue has been decontaminated. However all the bodies there must be buried under supervision, especially those that were there at the same time with Dr. Enemuo’s.”
Parker said Dr. Enemuo’s body had been bagged and the morgue decontaminated while the attendants have been placed under watch.
Also decontaminated are the hospitals in which the late Enemuo was treated, the Mandate Garden Hotel, Rumudamanya, where he treated his patient, Koye and his residence. Parker said the places are now safe for access by people, but the hospitals are not yet receiving patients. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Mr. Oluibukun Koye it is only God that will judge you, e no go better for you lai lai. Oloriburukunie. Omo agbaya, omo jaku jaku. Now because of you lives in PH are thretened and people are dying. Rot in hell and may a worsr ailment befall you and those you love. Government should sentence you to life imprisonment. Demonic agent. May disaster overtake you.
ReplyDeleteSo many persons that are suspected to have the virus are not even found, how safe is PH city? People should adhere to the preventive measures given to us even if we have to wear waterproof all day long, then lets do it. But please anyone among them that had a direct contact with the late doctor should please come out and be treated to save Port Harcourt and may God's mercy save us from this dreaded virus in Jesus name, Amen.
ReplyDeleteI think if this people are running away, government should start announcing their names. This will help people locate them and hand them over. 60 high risk people cannot be overlooked.
ReplyDeleteMr. Oluibukun Koye should be arrested for terrorism. Him escaping quarrantine and fleeing to PH is an act of terrorism and should be punished for that
ReplyDeletefirst govt should announce the names of the daft fleeing people...so pple can avoid and point them out to govt officials;secondly,koye should be sued for damages...for endangering d lifes of the people he as an ecowas staff should protect..the so called lilian(agent of satan) his friend should be sued along side...they should both be disgraced publicly so others can learn...as for those running una go die throw like fowl with new castle disease...come and take care of yourself na crime again?your actions just shows the gross high level of low intellect and illteracy of the people of ph if not the whole of niger delta....long live lagosian...long live yoruba....long live fashola...in a single flicker of hope i was proud to be called a nigerian until some animals living in ph dashed....una neva see death...its just coming....God save your innocent souls.young and old dear Lord
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