Hot Source*Residents doctors call off strike
Olawale Ajimotokan and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The FCT Administration has officially declared that there was no case of Ebola in the territory after the index patient, who returned from Rwanda, suspected of having the virus that causes haemorrhagic tested negative for Ebola and Marburg disease.
Equally, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed the development.
Also yesterday, FCT Resident Doctors announced the calling off of their indefinite strike, after all their demands, including unpaid arrears, were approved by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The Mandate Secretary, Health and Environmental Services, Dr Dolapo Fasawe disclosed the status of the Ebola suspect to the media yesterday.
She also assured the passengers aboard the Rwanda Air that flew the index suspect to Abuja and were all traced for Ebola protocol not to entertain any anxiety as the case was negative.
“I am here also to appeal to members of the press to let us verify information before going out and also to thank you for this meeting. This meeting is a sort of verification. You have asked what is going on. Is Ebola in the FCT? And on behalf of the Minister, I say today that Ebola is not in FCT. Confirmed, verified, and said with authority,” she said.
Fasawe said the FCTA was also working closely with NCDC to ensure that all FCT boarders were secured.
She added that Wike had given directives that protocols at all port’s health were strengthened and ensure more surveillance, vigilance and high index of suspicion for anybody coming from any country that has been confirmed to have an epidemic.
Fasawe commended patient X for her health-seeking habits, noting she arrived Abuja with a fever and went straight to Nisa Premier hospital instead of going home.
She also applauded the hospital for having a high index of suspicion and following the specified protocol for infectious diseases by calling the FCT Health and Environmental Services to take samples and isolate the patient.
Similarly, a statement signed by the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris said: “We wish to inform the public that two recent suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever in Abuja both tested negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses.
“We are currently testing samples for other viral hemorrhagic fevers like Lassa Fever and Dengue fever.
“The most recent case involved a traveller who, after returning to Nigeria from Kigali, responsibly presented himself immediately to a hospital in Abuja when he felt unwell.
“His decision to report early, combined with the vigilance of the attending clinician and hospital team, ensured that our public health system was promptly activated and that the risk to the public was minimised.
“This responsible action is highly commendable and a good practice all Nigerians are urged to emulate; when you feel unwell, especially after travel, seek care early. Doing so protects you, your family, and your community.”
NCDC commended the clinicians and staff at the NISA Premier Hospital, Abuja, whose high index of suspicion and immediate reporting triggered a rapid, coordinated response.
The Centre also praised the role played by the FCT Epidemiology and Rapid Response Teams, the Port Health Services, the National Reference Laboratory, airline and immigration partners, and other stakeholders, “whose swift collaboration with NCDC demonstrates the strength of Nigeria’s preparedness system.”
As part of response strategies, NCDC said it is currently collating and analysing all the relevant data and information to improve our response.
In addition, the Centre said it has already conducted a Dynamic Risk Assessment following recent reports of Ebola viral disease in other countries, and anticipatory measures are being implemented nationwide.
“We have activated multidisciplinary collaboration with federal and state health authorities, strengthening surveillance at points of entry, placed isolation/treatment facilities on alert, and prepositioning critical infection-prevention and related case management supplies,” it said.
Meanwhile, FCT resident doctors have called off their indefinite strike.
Wike disclosed during the commissioning of Northern Park from Ring Road 2 to Ring Road 3 that the files containing the requests on his table had been duly cleared.
Addressing the media last night along with President National Association of Resident Doctors, the National Association of Resident Doctors President, Dr.. George Ebong, announced that the Congress yesterday voted to suspend a strike that had been ongoing for some time now.
“And this is because of the fact that the FCT minister had granted all our requests. We’re grateful to him. We’re grateful to every other person that made this possible. We, like the NAD president just said, we met the Minister of Labour who intervened. We met every other person as well who also tried to talk,” Ebong said.
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