- She makes contact with 20 more people
By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News
One of the Nierian nurses who had direct contact with the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer who visited Nigeria for a meeting while infected with the Ebola virus has fled quarantine to Enugu.
The nurse was instructed not to live Lagos since she was under surveilance for the virus, but defied instruction and travelled to Enugu where she had contact with 20 more people.
This was disclosed by the Federal Minister of Information, Labaran Maku during Federal Executive Council Meeting in Abuja, yesterday.
The minister disclosed that the 20 more suspects have been tracked down which make the total number under monitoring in Nigeria to be 198. 177 in Lagos and 20 in Enugu State
Nigeria was free from the Ebola virus until Patrick Sawyer came to the country after being cleared by the Liberian government who also knew he was highly infected.
He said: “All those who had primary contact have been quarantined. Secondary contacts have also been traced. So far, the number of people that have been traced is 198.
“Of this number, 177 are in Lagos and are being traced. Some are in quarantine, some are being monitored by health specialists.”
He added “The 21 persons in Enugu under watch now is as a result of their involvement with the nurse who disobeyed medical instructions and somehow travelled to Enugu. All those who she was in contact with, including her husband, are under quarantine. The medical team has been able to trace all those who made contact with her.”
Maku warned that government was ready to punish anyone who is found spreading scary rumour about the Ebola virus, adding that the government has employed more hands in order to fight the epidemic.
He disclosed that more health workers have been placed at the borders, entry and exit points into the country, airport and seaports
He advised Nigerians not co-operate with health workers if they are identified as a contact with any carrier. He added ”In one or two cases where we have had disobedience, we lost one of them and this one now moved with it to another place (Enugu).
“So we are urging Nigerians, please to help us in making sure that all these messages and appeals we are making, we implement them.”
Maku said that many Nigerians, both home and abroad have come forward to say that they have therapies that could help in the ongoing fight against Ebola, adding that special committee had been set up for that.
He reminded Nigerians that there is no cure at the moment and even in Nigeria where the drug is said to be discovered is still under trial.
One of the doctors who came forward, according to the Minister, is Dr. Simon Agwale who is one of the frontline in global researcher on developing vaccines for HIV and other viral disease. He also said he could help both in terms of developing vaccines for Ebola which he disclosed, he has started working on between himself and his fellow experts in the United State.
Meanwhile, the minister of Information also disclosed that the family of the nurse who escaped quarantine has been arrested in Enugu and taken to Lagos immediately for proper surveillance.
Though Enugu State government claimed ignorance of the problem, it is obvious that they are trying to control the anxiety which is already among the residents of Enugu people following the news that broke out that a nurse that fled quarantine in Lagos had contact with 20 people.
The latest number of people infected with Ebola virus worldwide has reached 1975 with 1069 people dead, according to World Health Organisation.
Viewed 1 times
Ebola nurse escapes quarantine in Lagos, flees to Enugu
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for dropping your response, there are other interesting news on the page too