By AZOMA CHIKWE and JOB OSAZUWA

■ Four others almost fully recovered –Health Minister

The first Nigerian who tested posi­tive to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has recovered from the virus and consequently been certified fit and dis­charged, the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu told newsmen yesterday in Lagos.

She was one of the doc­tors who had primary contact with the late Liberian Patrick Sawyer while attending to the deceased.  Recall that people who had primary contact with late Sawyer, including medics at First Consultant Hospital, Lagos were quar­antined immediately Sawyer tested positive to Ebola virus infection.

The Minister explained that the medical experts at the isolation centre where she was admitted alongside others, have medically monitored the patient, and having fully sat­isfied with her recovery then discharged her home.

“The doctor is safe and free with no risk of infecting oth­ers and had been discharged to go back to her family. In fact, She is even safer than most people on the street who may not know that they have one symptom or the other. Her immunity is boosted and she was closely monitored before being discharged. The experts would have dis­charged her all this while but had to observe her very well because of the nature of the disease,” the Minister said.

He also said that four oth­ers similarly under medical management at the isolation centre were now almost fully recovered from the disease. He also said the other 189 persons, who had secondary contact, were still under sur­veillance in Lagos while ad­ditional six are in Enugu.

Towards arresting fur­ther spread of the disease, the Minister disclosed that patients under treatment were moved to the new 40-bed capacity isolation ward provided by the Lagos State Government at Mainland Hospital, Yaba.

However, the experimen­tal drug, Nano Silver, could not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code. Consequently, the National Health Research Ethics Committee withheld approval for it.

Chukwu stated that the experimental drug was made available to the Emergency Operation Centre in Lagos, but was not administered to any patient while awaiting clearance by the Committee.

“However, Chukwu add­ed, “other candidate drugs are currently being evaluated by the Treatment Research Group for EVD. As soon as any of the experimental drugs is cleared by the Committee and is made available, we shall use it in the treatment re­gime subject to the informed consent of the patient.”

So far, out of the 12 people who tested positive, he said four people have died from the dreaded disease.

On the sack of resident doctors, Chukwu confirmed that the suspension is only temporal and that the Federal Government is considering how it can further improve the health care sector.

“I believe the suspension is only temporary, the govern­ment is looking at how the health care system can be im­proved. But please note that the suspension affects only federal-owned hospitals, it is not extended to other state hospitals.”

Recall that that there had been allegations by doctors that the health insurance scheme offered by the federal government had not yet been put in place. The doctors also alleged that health worker who volunteered had not been provided with health in­surance cover by the Federal Government.

Responding to this al­legation, Prof Chukwu ac­knowledged that the Federal Government had indeed not commenced the provisions of insurance policy cover but noted that the Lagos State government has started is­suing the insurance policy to doctors in its employ.

“We are still working on the paper works; when it is ready we would definitely give it out. But we still need more volunteers as health workers are little and they can’t handle the job alone,” he said.


Source: Sun