A medical doctor has revealed how a nursing mother contracted the deadly Ebola virus at a Lagos hospital. PUNCH Metro 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.”

Credit:http://www.punchng.com/metro-plus/how-lagos-nursing-mother-contracted-ebola-virus-doctor/

Really sad

No wonder our president referred to the Liberian as a mad man.

I commented on the section about People on the run because health officials were looking for them as suspects for Ebola contamination because family members of the nurse who contracted Ebola. I still stand by how the spread in Nigeria has been caused by the health worker/professionals. If they are the ones spreading it to others, it is proof that they don't know how to contain it or are not well equipped or are incompetent with the knowledge if the have it..

So when people hear the Ebola health workers are looking for people because of suspected contamination with Ebola, i don't blame the people for running if they feel healthy and well.. They are likely running from the health workers to avoid the contamination that the health workers have been causing themselves.. If the doctor and nurse cannot stop themselves from being infected, there is no honest reason to trust them with peoples life to test people without contaminating people..

Trust Instinct and common sense.. The reports are also out about the health workers now admitting the government is not taking serious the investment into the fight against Ebola spread, not providing the necessary funds to buy proper measures to enact what they know.. And so they remain at risk of infection and becoming themselves the contagion carriers that people fear and run from to save their dear lives... Cross infection is very high in the hospitals and quarantine centers that the government is not equipping properly...

sad sad sad