Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of health today announced that the first Nigerian, confirmed to have Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) had been discharged following conclusive discharge protocols. Chukwu, who said this said at a news briefing in Yaba, Lagos said that the patients was discharged because she had fully recovered and could go home to resume her normal life. The minister added that five other patients had almost fully recovered.
BusinessDay had earlier reported on Friday that the consultant Endocrinologists at the First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalande, Lagos, diagnosed Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who imported the disease to Nigeria.
Chukwu said that a Nigeria had recorded a total number of 12 confirmed cases, four deaths and 189 persons under surveillance in Lagos and six persons under surveillance in Enugu. He said that all the persons under surveillance were secondary contacts.
”All the patients under treatment have now moved to the new 40 bed capacity isolating ward provided by the Lagos State Government. Additional equipment has also been made available to the new isolating ward by the Federal Government,” Chukwu explained.
The minister revealed that the trial drug Nanosilver drug which was made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Yaba, Lagos on August 14 by a Nigerian physician in Diaspora did not meet basic research requirements.
”The experimental drug, Nanosilver did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code. Accordingly, the approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee. Other candidate drugs are currently being evaluated by the Treatment Research Group of Ebola Virus Disease. As soon as any of the experimental drugs is cleared by the National Health Research Ethics Committee and is made available , we shall include it in the treatment regimen subject to the informed consent of the patient, ‘ the minister revealed.
Chukwu debunk the rumour of EVD in Imo, Abia and Cross River adding that the case of the disease in Kwara was still under investigation.
”The mother of the child in Kwara tested negative and we are still investigating the child. Also, the case of the corpse in Anambra was already embalmed and we are waiting for the test result. All the mortuary attendants who had contact with the corpse tested negative. So, there is no need to panic, ”he said.
On the suspension of residency training, Chukwu said that there had been problems with the training which also informed the ongoing doctors’ strike.
”The suspension is with all Federal Government hospitals, State teaching hospitals are not affected. The government suspended the training to allow for critical investigation and come up with better ways to improve the training, ”he said.
Chukwu also said that the paper work for the insurance package for volunteers was ongoing and that the Lagos State Government had started implementation of their insurance package for health workers.
Alexander Chiejina
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