Indications have emerged that the Office of the National Security Adviser warned the Office of the Minister of Health of the grave implications of the Ebola virus to national security and the need for steps to be taken 10 days before the infamous visit of the Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, to Lagos.

The NSA office in a letter dated July 10, 2014 alerted to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to the need to follow a guideline against the Ebola virus, which according to the letter, was at the ‘doorstep of the country.’

It was stated in the letter with ref. no. NSA/A/208/C, signed by a senior officer in the NSA’s office, Brig. Gen. TT Waya (retd.), that the guideline was meant to provide a working plan to guide the health ministry to take proactive steps to combat any possible outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.

Waya stated further in the letter that the guideline was to further aid the minister to give necessary warnings and information to the citizenry as regards the Ebola threat.

It was also learnt that the ministry, the NSA’s office and the Presidential Communication, Command and Control at the State House were to hold joint briefings on the Ebola issue.

However, investigations revealed that the Plan of Action was yet to be followed 10 days before the sick Sawyer visited the country and infected health workers and others with the deadly virus.

The guidelines, presented in a summary form under the topic ‘Crisis Management Guidelines for Pandemics- Ebola’, attached as Annex ‘A’ to the letter, included three major areas: General Information, Communication and Looking Ahead.

Items listed under General Information include Introduction, History of Ebola, The West African Pandemic, Contingency Planning, Risk Analysis, Being Better Prepared, The Response Plans, Reinforcing the Crisis Response, Management of Information and Creation of Joint Communication Centre.

The guidelines also include the national response, communications with stakeholders, the role of the social media and local and international media.

The letter alerted the minister of the outbreak of the deadly virus and its high fatality figure in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It said 367 persons out of a total of 600 infected died as at June 26, 2014, according to World Health Organisation reports.

It was observed further that a reported case of Ebola in Ghana called for steps to be taken in the event of an incident in the country.

The NSA letter read in part, “Last week, there was an isolated case reported in Ghana. With this development, Ebola disease could be said to be on Nigeria’s doorstep.

“An outbreak of the disease in Nigeria would obviously have security implications. Consequently, I am directed to forward to you the crisis Management Guidelines for your Ministry’s preparedness and response to an eventual outbreak of the disease.

“The guidelines will assist the Hon. Minister in preparing a working plan to deal with the outbreak as well as to warn and inform the public among others.”

Source: Punch

Four Indian doctors in Nigeria have said they are being forced to treat Ebola patients against their will. They also charged their employers with taking away their passports to ensure that the doctors couldn’t leave the country.

The doctors – Yogesh Chandra, Dinesh Kumar, Hemant Jingar, and Kapil Chouhan – said they were threatened to not leave Primus Hospital in the Nigerian capital Abuja. With the virus spreading across the country, the doctors feared for their lives. They spoke to Hindustan – a sister concern of HT – over phone, email and Whatsapp.

We haven’t been provided with any security kits. Our passports have been impounded. When we spoke to Indian high commission, we were asked to come to the mission. But we were stopped by guards from leaving the hospital”, said Chouhan.

He added that the Indian doctors were forced to work since local physicians – who were on a strike – refused to come back to work when the Ebola epidemic broke out.

Government sources, however, told HT that following the intervention of the Indian mission in Nigeria, the doctors have agreed to work in the hospital for a few more days and then leave the country.

Around 961 people have died till August 8 from a total of 1,779 cases in the Ebola outbreak that has hit west Africa, says data from the World Health Organisation (WHO). In the four countries affected so far, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria, the virus has infected nearly 150 healthcare workers, killing around 80 of them.

Though Nigerians authorities claimed there were no Ebola cases in Abuja, Dinesh Kumar’s wife Smita alleged that patients from Lagos – which has registered 10 Ebola cases and two deaths – were admitted at the hospital.

The CEO of Primus Super Speciality Hospital India Dr ND Khurana, however, appeared to not agree with the demands of the four doctors. “We are in touch with our Abuja branch. These doctors are afraid of contracting the dreaded disease but it is against medical morality. One doctor has left the service, which will be treated as impropriety,” he said.

But Dr Narendra Saini, secretary of the Indian Medical Association, countered Khurana, arguing that a doctor’s personal choice should dictate if they want to work in a particular country.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/forced-to-treat-ebola-patients-in-nigeria-4-indian-docs-want-out/article1-1250992.aspx

Nigeria’s airports most embarrassing? why don't you try the interstate roads in Nigeria and then define the state the are in.well i guess you wouldn't know since the airports are your only means of transport.
a friend of mine that took a flight from lagos to port harcourt about four weeks ago was shocked when he saw rats at the airport.he just could not understand why there would be rats at the airport.well, this is Nigeria