Lagos Commissioner for Health speaks on Ebola, says situation 'extremely dire'

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris says Ebola situation in Lagos is 'extremely dire.'

At a press briefing held in Lagos this afternoon, the Commissioner said the Nigerian nurse who died of the Ebola virus died at exactly 2.06pm yesterday in Lagos. He said Health officials have begun 'secondary contact tracing", that is, tracking down people who came in contact with people who had direct contact with the late Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, the first case of Ebola virus in Lagos.

He said as at yesterday August 5th, 27 people who had secondary contacts with the Liberian man have been identified and are now been monitored. He said 6 cases of Ebola have been confirmed in Lagos, 2 of which are in critical condition. He said the infected doctor who was confirmed on Monday August 4th to have contracted the virus is still alive. Continue...

Dr Idris appealed to religious bodies to temporarily put on hold all forms of activities that would require a large number of people to come together. As regards the ongoing Redeemed Christian Church of God National Convention at the redemption camp, Dr Idris said the church has fully educated its members with pamphlets and strategically positioned educational structures. He reiterated that the disease is not airborne, adding that it requires a physical contact with an infected person or corpse before it can be transmitted.

The Commissioner appealed for "volunteer" doctors, nurses, phlebotomists; promising that the state government would provide them with "life insurance" and protective clothing.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Lagos state Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Tope Ojo, yesterday said a matron who attended to the late Liberian man, Patrick Sawyer has shown symptoms of being infected by the deadly virus.

Dr Ojo said this yesterday while addressing his members at the state's secretariat. He said 30 doctors have volunteered to stop their strike action and join in the fight against the deadly virus. Dr Ojo said fears by some doctors of getting infected by the disease is the reason for the low number of volunteers recorded. According to him, most doctors are uncertain of government's commitment to them should they get infected during the course of consulting with Ebola virus patients.