It was learnt that the woman was the patient who visited the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation staff clinic on Muri Okunola Street in
the Victoria Island area of Lagos.
NNPC had issued a press statement on Friday, saying that the clinic
would be shut due to a suspected case of Ebola reported in the clinic.
Our correspondent gathered from the source, who had a first-hand
information of the incident, that the nursing mother had first visited
the First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende.
He said, “The lady attended ante-natal at First Consultant prior to
the arrival of the Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer. She was delivered of
her baby at the hospital after which she was discharged.
“A few weeks later, Mr. Sawyer came around and was attended to by
health workers. He was first treated for malaria, then typhoid, before
there was high index of suspicion. He tested positive for Ebola and
died.
“Then the woman, who gave birth at the hospital came back to the
hospital for her baby’s immunisation. The nurses who attended to Sawyer
also attended to her.
“When she visited the place again last week, she discovered the place
had been shut down for proper fumigation as a means of control against
Ebola.”
He said the nursing mother decided to visit a neighbouring clinic which was the NNPC clinic.
He said it was there she began her treatment after she fell ill.
“She was first treated for Malaria. However, after some medical tests, there was a high suspicion of Ebola haemorrhagic fever.
“On Friday, the Lagos State’s emergency response team on Ebola virus
came around and took her to the Infectious Diseases Hospital,” he added.
Our correspondent learnt that the yet-to-be-identified mother and her
baby, who were taken away from the hospital on Friday, had been
quarantined.
Confirming the report, the Medical Officer of Health, Iru-Victoria
Island Local Council Development Area, Dr. Wale Akeredolu, said the
patient tested positive to the Ebola virus after a second test was
conducted on her.
He confirmed the incident at a sensitisation programme organised for
residents of the Eti-Osa Local Government Area by the council on Monday.
He added, “The baby has also been quarantined to see if after the
incubation period of two to 21 days, she would manifest the symptoms of
Ebola.”
The council boss, Abayomi Daramola, appealed to residents not to
shirk their responsibilities on the pretext of running away from the
virus.
He said, “This is a trying time in Nigeria. But the presence of Ebola
does not mean people should run away from their responsibilities. The
public apprehension is what can even spread the disease faster. So,
people should just follow personal hygiene, use sanitisers and wash
their hands regularly.”
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