he virus has spread. It is when we have finally reach everyone that we can say that we have control over the virus. From that place we can go back to sleep.”
Nasidi speaks
Also speaking at a different forum, Director, Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalim Nasidi said the likelihood of more patients being discharged arose from medical reports indicating that they are showing signs of full recovery from the disease.
Nasidi, who spoke on the probability of more patients being discharged, had earlier affirmed that there were chances of surviving the deadly disease if treated early.
“Yes, we have some of the patients who have fully recovered from the disease after intensive medical treatment and they are likely to go home and reunite with their family members soon,” he affirmed.
On the downing of tools by the health workers attending to quarantined patients at the Control Centre in Lagos, last Friday, he said the workers had resumed work after appeals and meeting held with some of the aggrieved workers.
Their decision to stop work followed allegations of negligence by family members of one of the patients’ nurses that died of EVD last week.
It was also gathered that more essentia
l medical kits have been made available for distribution to hospitals in anticipation of more health workers and volunteers that will be joining the joint medical team already on ground.
Death toll rises to 1,145 globally — WHO
Meanwhile, death toll from the worst ever outbreak of Ebola has risen to 1,145, the World Health Organisation, WHO, has said, even as 76 new deaths were reported in two in the four West African nations affected by the epidemic.
The WHO said that a total of 152 confirmed, probable and suspected new cases of the deadly hemorrhagic fever were reported in the two day period in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, bringing the total for the outbreak to 2,127.
Chukwu addresses concerns of Ebola relatives
Minister for Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu who met with the concerned friends and families of the Ebola afflicted victims following their complaints about the welfare of their wards said: “As you know, we have a serious situation and anyone that has a relative is bound to be anxious, and when relatives complain, we must listen.”
Chukwu admitted that all the complaints were being investigated, adding that he had been briefed on the development and recommendations were being put in place.
“I’m a doctor myself and I’m behaving now more as a doctor than as a Minister. Normally, when relatives of patients complain, I want to see them, working together, sometimes they do not have the full information, and who knows, sometimes they themselves can add valued to what we are doing.”
He said the Federal Government was open to suggestions and contributions.
“We knew the former place was only temporary and we knew we could do better and that was why the Lagos State government made every effort to get the new isolation unit ready. Penultimate Friday, I visited the Lagos State Governor and he personally assured me the new facility will be ready this week. He kept to his word. Of course as soon as it was ready it was made available and the patients have been moved to the new facility, which is better than where they were before.”
Pointing out that no stone was being left unturned, he said hopefully all shortcomings they may have observed were actually being addressed by the new place.
“I had to personally discuss with the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof Akin Oshibogun, when I was told they were not satisfied with facilities for critical care. That is why we have reinforced what is available. New equipment has been put in to reassure the patients that we would do everything humanly possible to keep them alive and to return them to their families and work,” the Minister explained.