We were under pressure to release victim – Hospital

Arik Air yesterday said it had suspended flight operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the death last week, of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, of the dreaded Ebola disease, even as it advised that all inbound flights into Nigeria from any of the Ebola affected countries be immediately suspended by the Federal Government.

Sawyer flew into Nigeria onboard Asky Airline to attend an ECOWAS conference in Calabar, Cross River State.

This came as First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, said it was under serious pressure to release the victim.

Confirming the suspension of the flights yesterday, Arik Air General Manager, Public Relations, Mr Ola Adebanji said “As a result of the first Ebola virus death officially confirmed in Lagos, and involving a Liberian national who flew on a foreign (non-Nigerian) based airline from Monrovia via Lome (Togo) into the city last week, Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.”

“The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians. Arik Air is taking this important measure as a concerned corporate citizen bearing interest of Nigerians at heart.“

According to him, the airline acknowledged steps the Federal Government of Nigeria was currently taking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, saying “however, we feel compelled to take the decision to immediately suspend services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well being of Nigerians.”

He explained that at the early stages of the development across West Africa, the Gambian government took the proactive decision to stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Monrovia, Conakry, Guinea, and Freetown into Banjul.

Adebanji added “Hence, in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, we trust, and are confident, that the Federal Government of Nigeria shall take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus. We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria, originating from any of the Ebola-affected countries, be immediately suspended.”

Meanwhile, First Consultants Medical Centre Ltd, Obalende, Lagos, the hospital where the first Ebola victim in Nigeria died, has spoken out on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

In a statement by the hospital’s Chief Consultant/ Medical Director, Dr B.N. Ohiaeri and the Senior Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Dr. A.S. Adadevoh, it said the hospital was under pressure to release the victim.

According to the statement, “He was fully conscious and gave his clinical history and told us he was a senior diplomat from Liberia. We refused to let him out of the hospital in spite of intense pressure as we were told he was a senior ECOWAS official who had an important role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar. The initial test result from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital laboratory indicated a signal of possible Ebola Virus Disease, but required confirmation.

“We then took the further step of reaching out to senior officials in the office of the Secretary of Health of the United States of America, who promptly assisted us with contacts at the Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation regional laboratory centre in Senegal. Jointly working with the state, Federal agencies and international agencies, we were able to obtain confirmation of Ebola Virus Disease (Zaire strain).

The gentleman subsequently died on Friday at 6.50am (25th July, 2014).”

Following the death of the patient, the duo said there was “orderly temporary shutdown of the hospital with immediate evacuation of in-house patients. This was followed by appropriate professional removal of the body and its incineration under WHO guidelines witnessed by all appropriate agencies,” noting that the reopening of the hospital would also be in accordance with WHO guidelines.

The statement added that in keeping with World Health Organisation guideline, the hospital had been shut down briefly for full decontamination.
Meanwhile, a cross section of Lagos residents has urged the state and federal governments to spread their dragnet nationwide to ensure that all the co- passengers aboard the Asky aircraft that brought the victim to Nigeria are quickly located and screened for the virus.

Speaking to Vanguard at the departure wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, a middle-aged man, who identified himself as Olukayode, said it was not good enough for the co-passengers to have been allowed to go away without ensuring their health had not been compromised.

Another passenger who pleaded anonymity said screening of people should have been adopted earlier to stop the spread of the disease.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/ebola-arik-air-suspends-flights-liberia-sierra-leone/

na HIV before. now its Ebola. God help us!!!

"This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians"

9c move by Arik but α qreater virus dan Ebola is here..

Nice move

Suspend them all.

hmm

- Seriously, Some girls are thinking that
Ebola is another Hit song like
DOROBUCCI, they have
started changing their names to
Ebolasexy, EbolaDiva, Ebola Pearl,
EbolaChic, EbolaDuchess, EbolaCutie. Etc...

Abeg someone should inform them
that Ebola na disease o!!... I don talk
my own.

- So my friend invited me to attend this church programme last night tagged "KOBOKO NIGHT: MY FATHER!, MY FATHER!! THAT WITCH MUST DIE". There was this man who has been coughing through out the duration of the programme. During deliverance session, the pastor started shouting "If you have be afflicted by any kind of Sickness or you need anything from the lord, Come Out!!!" the man who was in his mid 40s went out to the altar. The pastor after reading the bible portion of the man who sat by the pool of Bethsaida asked him "What do you want the lord to do for you?". The man replied "I want to be made whole", the Pastor retorted "What is troubling you?" the man answered "EVD" the Pastor looking shocked said "Mr. Man What do you mean by EVD", the man turned around to look at the congregation and again faced the Pastor and answered "Ebola Virus". Ebola wetin? Before I know wetin happen Pastor shoe dey fly for air, I no no when hin reach main gate, Everybody do scatter everywhere. Naso people dey shout "Chisos!!!", "Not my portion!!"

ok

The person that sat closest to him should be summoned immediately

Yes oh, it should be suspended before Mr. Ebola buys a return ticket and boards the plane!

Nigeria, a country that never take action or precaution until something awful is uncontrollable.

Understandable, other countries are likely to do the same towards Nigeria since we have already recorded a death. And Nigerians abroad wanting to visit home should think it out properly cos when going back ur likely to be put through extra checks.

Thank God b4 they bring more death here to nigeria

Hmmm. They should please stop the spread of this disease o! The man should have died peacefully in his country... #just saying.

This should have been done before now...hoping those that flew with the Liberian man have not contacted the disease already.

What functioning government does is to set up a special holding centers across all the entry points (land, sea, air) to screen passengers coming into the country.

Every one is talking about this one man..his relatives should also be quarantined even the delivery man who brought the sample to luth is yet to be tested...containment should not be limited to the hospital where the man died alone!

Good devpt. Prevention is better than cure.

this why i fear nigeria,we politicise everything.in a normal country a victim will be isolated no matter who it was.but here intense pressure 'from above'to let out a walking time bomb.same thing with criminals and murderers in jail one order from above sent and they are released.and why wasnt the borders shut down earlier,and air flight from affected nations stopped.infact anything wether air,land or sea linking naija with 'ebola nations' should be shutdown.

Anybody effected with the ebola virus should be shut in the head #gush! This is even worst than zombie infection

We have to wait for 2 weeks to see if any of the co-passengers has symptoms of Ebola.

Good move

Jesus!
Last Bullet
This ebola bad pass sars o!

They mean the man was burnt instead of burying? I am still a learner. Strict measure should be applied to stop this virus from spreading to the entire Africa b/4 All outward an inward flight will be suspend b/w Africa and the rest of the world.

Fast!!!

This is a good move by Arik but I wish we were more pre-emptive instead of reactionary. The Ebola virus has been at our doorsteps for years now but we never took preventive measures, now it's here. We have to be extra careful because no one will develop a vaccine or cure as it's an African disease.

I just heard over CNN that a second American doctor has contracted the disease. This Ebola of a thing is spreading like a wild fire.

The Nigerian government better take this as a matter of national emergency and deploy all it's resources to keep it in check.

Nice move

God Help Us