The Lagos State Government has declared its resolve not to use any drug other than the American ZMAPP for the Ebola patients in its custody.
The Commissioner of Health, Dr Jide idris, disclosed this to The Nation, exclusively yesterday.
As at yesterday, it was still sketchy if the drug has arrived the shores of Nigeria.
Dr Idris said another drug, Nano Silver, being suggested by the Federal Government by a Nigerian scientist is a natural health product and โthe state is not ready to take chances with the health of the patients at all.
โShould we have access to ZMAPP now, right away, we will start the administration on the patients.
โWe are attending a meeting soon with the Task Force on Ebola to know if the ZMAPP drug is available as stated by the Federal government,โIdris said.
There was confusion at press time as to whether the Nano Silver drug, which the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said was expected to arrive Nigeria on Thursday actually arrived as scheduled.
Findings by our correspondent yesterday showed that the country was yet to take delivery of the drugs.
It was gathered that the only thing that the country had received were personal protective equipment and some personnel who are in the country to train Nigerian health workers.
The country, it was gathered, was still expecting the drugs, which might come in any time next week.
Meanwhile, Idris disclosed yesterday that First Consultant Hospital where the first case of EVD occurred would be reopened soon.
This, he said, followed the mandatory three rounds of state certified decontamination process.
He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Clinic, was shut after the detection of a confirmed case of the disease at the facility.
He said the state would facilitate the decontamination process of the clinic, adding: โ25 patients and health workers at the facility when the case was detected are presently under surveillance.โ.
