About 51 days after the Ebola Virus Disease was imported into Nigeria by an American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, the fear of the scourge still pervades the Federal Capital Territory. For many residents, the fear of EVD has become the beginning of wisdom.
The situation got worse with the spread of a message sent via the Blackberry Messenger service, indicating that a passenger who tested positive to EVD flew into Abuja through a popular airline.
Many people expressed apprehensions over this before government broke its silence. Thereafter, residents were urged to take their bath with hot water and salt to prevent infection of EVD.
But reports said the whole drama concerning the latest apprehension became worsened when a patient at the Asokoro General Hospital, who was suspected to be a victim of EVD, died before the result conducted on him came out.
Before this, the condition of three other patients had caused panic and fears among residents that test the disease might have found its way into the FCT. Sources stated that the patient had died after the Family Medicine Section of the hospital suspected the patient was infected. Our correspondent learnt that the blood sample of the suspect was taken to the designated FCT Ebola-testing laboratory for test, while the epidemiology unit of the Public Health Department of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat was notified for necessary action.
But the case assumed a dangerous trend when medical staff of the hospital, who had contact with the patient, were placed under surveillance while the result of the test was still being awaited. The entire hospital environment became charged as the people anxiously awaited the result.
The story became more dramatic, however, when the much-awaited result eventually came out and turned out to be negative. Unfortunately, the patient was already dead. The Head (Press and Public Relations Unit) HHSS, Mr. Badaru Yakassai, defended the costly adventure saying it was a litmus test for the health institution.
He said, “Clinical assessment of the patient did not reveal any history of contact or travel. However, in view of the high index of suspicion, isolation and strict inspection, control measures continued and the unit was cordoned off. The Accident and Emergency Unit was temporarily relocated to the general outpatient unit. A list of all medical staff that had come into contact with the patient was compiled and all of them are under surveillance.”
Expectedly, Chukwu has allayed fears that the stories about EVD in Abuja were outright rumours.
He said, “There is no single case suspected or otherwise of the EVD in the FCT.”
He also debunked rumours of a number of EVD cases in Kebbi, Kaduna, Lagos, Oyo, Ebonyi, Delta and Sokoto.
Since these rumours started flying round, Abuja residents have started to adjust their lifestyles to avoid contracting the virus which has claimed many lives in the West African sub-region. Investigations revealed that apart from using hand sanitisers, they have also embraced the habit of regularly washing their hands, regular disinfection of floors and surfaces, avoiding contact with carcasses, washing of fruits and other sanitary measures as experts have advised.
A legal practitioner, Mr. Gilbert Osunde, said he had stopped his family from consuming bush meat.
He said, “I come from Edo State where the rate of consumption of bush meat is very high because of its nutritional value. Whenever I travel, I usually buy grass cutters and sometimes laps of antelopes. But I have given instruction that we have to stop eating of bush meat for now to avoid coming in contact with the Ebola virus. We now eat goat meat, cow meat and fish.”
But another resident and an employee of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Alhaji Ahmed Sani-Giwa, believes the best solution is personal hygiene.
He said, “A good hygiene practice could help in the prevention of Ebola and this is what we have always preached in the AEPB. Before Ebola strikes you, purge yourself of certain unhygienic traits because Ebola is deadlier than HIV/AIDS. Because of the quickness with which the virus strikes, I have become so scared that I could not even visit a friend that was suffering from fever because there is no way I would do so without shaking him to know how he was feeling.”
But the FCT administration is not asleep in case the virus rears its head in the metropolis. The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has constituted a power technical committee to manage and curtail its threat.
While unveiling the committee chaired by the FCT Secretary of HHSS, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, he made it clear that the measure is a proactive one. The committee’s terms of reference include working out modalities for responding to it; creating awareness on the nature and symptoms of the virus; proactively preparing an action plan for containing it; working out ways for effective surveillance of the population, visitors and travellers; and recommending tools and methods for managing cases should they arise.
Another measure being put in place to check the threat is the insistence by the minister on the establishment of the proposed isolation centre for patients suffering from the virus in the Kuje General Hospital despite protests by the residents of the Area Council. Also expectedly, shaking of hands has now become an aberration.
According to the World Health Organisation, the EVD, otherwise called the Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe illness, with fatality rate of up to about 90 per cent. The agency described EVD as one of the world’s most virulent diseases whose infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids me and tissues of infected animals or people.
“Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients,” it emphasised
from punch news
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