Strike Or No Strike, Ebola Spread Must Be Stopped – Health Professional

The Public Relations Officer of the Society for Public Health Professionals of Nigeria, Dr Disu Oyewoga, on Monday said that the reported case of Ebola … Continue reading Strike Or No Strike, Ebola Spread Must Be Stopped – Health Professional


vlcsnap-2014-07-28-09h56m38s218The Public Relations Officer of the Society for Public Health Professionals of Nigeria, Dr Disu Oyewoga, on Monday said that the reported case of Ebola virus in Lagos is a case of critical importance to the society and the doctors’ strike should not be an excuse not to respond to it as an emergency.

“Ebola virus disease itself is a public health matter, whether there is strike or no strike, it is the duty of public health professionals to ensure that it’s spread is contained; it is a highly infectious disease and it is highly fatal” he warned while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

He, however, noted that of all the members of the Society for Public Health Professionals of Nigeria, “which includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists and so on, it is only doctors that are on strike but the other members are still working” adding quickly that “even the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has structures in place to respond to emergencies when the situation arises”.

He further noted that it was still unclear whether people in Nigeria have contacted the disease as a result of a man who flew in from Liberia after being infected with the disease. “Because it is highly infectious, people who move close to the victim are at risk of getting the disease. So most likely they need to do contact treatment for them, identify them and follow them up in case they have any symptoms and give them the support they need”, he said.

He also said that the Federal Government and Lagos State Government have collaborated to put measures in place to make sure the virus doesn’t spread beyond Lagos State.

Dr Oyewoga expressed concerns about the risk faced by health workers who attend to patients who at the early stage, show little sign of the disease, saying that “when a health worker is lost, it is a loss to the nation”.

He urged health workers to take standard precautions in taking care of every patient, “This time around anyone that you think has malaria, fever, headache, sore throat; don’t wait until they start vomiting blood and showing signs of the Ebola disease. Make sure you take standard precautions”, he warned.

He further warned health workers to always use their Personal Precaution Equipment (PPE) and “make sure you avoid cuts because this virus gets into the body through the skin that has been impaired”.

Dr Oyewoga also called on Nigerians to imbibe the habit of always washing their hands and covering their mouths when they sneeze.

The spokesman for Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, Yakubu Dati, had earlier disclosed that International airports in Nigeria are screening passengers arriving from foreign countries for symptoms of Ebola. Health officials are also working with ports and land borders. He said “they are giving out information in terms of enlightenment, what to do, what to look out for.”

Mr Datti also added that “Nigerian airports are setting up holding rooms in case another potential Ebola victim lands in the country.”

Variable Incubation Period

Ebola has a variable incubation period of between two and 21 days and cannot be diagnosed on the spot.

Patrick Sawyer, a consultant for the Liberian Ministry of Finance arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday and was immediately detained by health authorities suspecting he might have Ebola.

On his way to Lagos, Sawyer’s plane also stopped in Lome, Togo, according to the World Health Organization.

Authorities announced Friday that blood tests from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital confirmed Sawyer died of Ebola earlier that day.

Sawyer reportedly did not show Ebola symptoms when he boarded the plane, but by the time he arrived in Nigeria he was vomiting and had diarrhea.

Nearly 50 other passengers on the flight are being monitored for signs of Ebola but are not being kept in isolation, said an employee at Nigeria’s Ministry of Health, who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.