Sawyer Aware Of Ebola Status, Restrictions Placed On Repatriate

Health Minister Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said yesterday that Liberian-Amerian Patrick Sawyer who died in Lagos of Ebola Virus, was aware of his status before entering Nigeria.

Chukwu described the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria as a “national emergency”.
He said the Federal government had placed restrictions on repatriation into the country of bodies of Nigerians abroad.

The Minister told members of the House of Representatives Committee on Health and other stakeholders at a public hearing on Ebola virus that Sawyer disregarded instructions of Liberian health officials not to travel out of the country. But he did not elaborate on how he was able to travel through Lome to Lagos ostensibly to attend a conference in Calabar, Cross River State.

Chukwu said a report credited to former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Maurice Iwu about the efficacy of bitter Kola in fighting the disease was “premature” and “incorrect”.

“No evidence shows that bitter kola will prevent or cure Ebola. Iwu’s experiment was inconclusive,” he said.

Project Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, said 70 Nigerians were under surveillance for the disease.

According to him, of the 70 primary and secondary patients Sawyer had  contact with, 39 were hospital contacts; 22 were airport contacts.

Those in contact with and who attended to Sawyer, according to Nasidi, include men of the State Security Service (SSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), medical and airport support personnel.

Director, Port Health Services, Dr. Sani Gwarzo added that as part of efforts aimed at containing the outbreak of the virus, 66 personnel were required by the Federal  Ministry of Health to man and screen travellers at travel entry points.

Chairman, House Committee on Health, Ndudi Elumelu, said the meeting was convened to find out measures being put in place to curb the spread of the disease and to know the actual number of Nigerians affected.

“Ebola is what most Nigerians are currently worried about; measures must be taken to protect people,” he said.

Also speaking at the State House in Abuja, Chukwu said the Federal Government had requested for the experimental drug, Zmapp, being used in the treatment of the Ebola virus by the United States Centre for Disease Control.

He spoke at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

The minister said those using the drug seem to be responding to treatment.

On efforts to contain the disease, he said the government would by isolation tents, which costs about N20 million apiece.  According to the plan, state governments will partner with the Federal Government to procure at least one per state. Lagos will have more because of its population.

The challenges being faced, he said, include location of the isolation tents as occupants of such areas always protest and sometimes become violent while opposing the citing of the tents around their homes.  Nigeria has now recorded seven cases of the Ebola virus, with the first index case being from Liberia.

Chukwu said: “We have a national emergency; indeed the world is at risk. Nobody is immune. The experience in Nigeria has alerted the world that it takes just one individual to travel by air to a place to begin an outbreak.

“It is an emergency and, secondly, everyone is at risk. We have recorded seven confirmed cases that were in contact with the first imported case from Liberia. Yesterday 5th August 2014, the first known Nigerian to die of the EVD was recorded and this was one of the nurses that attended to the Liberian. The other five cases are being treated at the isolation ward in Lagos.”

For fear of stigmatisation, he said, the names of confirmed cases would not be made public yet.

“That is why we are protecting the identity of those affected. Stigmatisation will not solve the problem; it is maintaining good personal hygiene that can solve it,” he said

Chukwu said: “The general public does not need hand gloves. Health personnel are the most vulnerable and they change the gloves regularly and do not take them home. Also those at immigration points are advised to wear gloves and to change regularly. The Ebola organism is weak outside the body, so frequent washing of hands and using hand sanitiser is advisable. Don’t try to form your own liquid.”

He also advised families of affected persons not to share bed sheets, pillow cases and towels, as they stand a great risk of contracting the virus through bodily fluid.

Stressing that the disease is contagious and infectious, the minister said:  “If you are close to affected person you can contact via sneezing, coughing as they pass out droplets.

“The constitution provides that government has the right to quarantine anybody suspected to have Ebola in the interest of public health”.