The Rivers State Government yesterday said it had received a N200 million grant from the Federal Government (FG) to assist it in the fight against Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The disease broke out in the state in August after a medical doctor, Ikye Enemuo, died treating an ECOWAS diplomat in a hotel room in Port Harcourt.
He became the first victim of the virus in the state and the third doctor to die of the disease in Nigeria. One other woman also died of the virus in Rivers State, making a total of seven deaths in the country.
The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced in Abuja the approval by President GoodLuck Jonathan of the sum of N200 million to Rivers State to help check the spread of the deadly virus in the state. The Federal Government had earlier done same in Lagos State where the disease first manifested Nigeria.
The state Commissioner of Health, Sampson Parker, who disclosed that the state had received the money, thanked President Jonathan for fulfilling his promise and appealed to members of the public to maintain the observance of their personal hygiene in order to sustain the fight against the disease.
Parker said: “Let me use this opportunity to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. He promised to release the sum of N200 million to the Rivers State Government to assist in the fight against EVD. That has been done and we have received it.”
He reiterated the absence of the disease in the state, but expressed concern over possible resurgence, especially as the disease is still lurking around neighbouring Liberia, Guinea and Sierra-Leone.
He urged the public to remain conscious as they go about their normal business.
“Ebola virus disease (EVD), battle is won in Rivers State, but the war is still on, especially as the disease is still ravaging parts of the world and Africa in particular, going by the news everywhere.
“The disease presently has no boundaries. The ocean cannot stop it from travelling, and therefore, we must re-double our efforts now in the areas of vigilance, surveillance and monitoring.
“Our treatment centres are still open with skeletal operation going on. Surveillance is still going on. Point of entry screening is still on-going.
“But the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations call for concern in that Nigerians in the most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra-Léone would want to visit home either healthy or sick. So, there is need to maintain our personal hygiene and environmental sanitation culture and sensitisation.”
On the provision of materials to check the spread of the disease among school children, he said sufficient materials had been handed over to the Ministry of Education for distribution to schools across the state.
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