The Liberian-American man, Patrick Sawyer credited with bringing the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to Nigeria, knew he was sick with the virus before entry to Nigeria, Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has said.
He was also advised by the Liberian Health Ministry not to travel out of the country but he ignored the instruction, flew to Nigeria and died here transmitting the virus to Nigerian medical personnel who offered medical services to him, Chukwu added.
He disclosed this during an emergency meeting convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Health over the Ebola outbreak.
According to reports from Daily Independent, Onyebuchi described the Ebola outbreak in the country as a ‘national emergency,’ just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the death toll in West Africa has risen to 932.
Speaking at the event, Project Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, disclosed that 70 Nigerians were currently under surveillance for the disease.
Nasidi disclosed that Sawyer had 70 primary and secondary registered contacts of which 39 were hospital contacts and 22 airport contacts. [eap_ad_1] Sawyer’s contacts, it was disclosed comprised officers of the State Security Service (SSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), airport support personnel and medical personnel that attended to him.
The Director, Port Health Services in the Health Ministry, Dr. Sani Gwarzo, disclosed that restrictions have been placed on the repatriation of corpses of Nigerians abroad into the country.
As part of ongoing efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, Gwarzo said 66 personnel were required by the health ministry to man and screen travellers at the country’s several travel entry points.
Meanwhile, the health minister has faulted reports on the curative powers bitter kola had on Ebola, a claim reportedly propagated by Prof. Maurice Iwu.
“No evidence shows that bitter kola will prevent or cure Ebola,” the minister stated.
He said Iwu’s experiment was inconclusive.
Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Ndudi Elumelu, in his opening address said the committee reconvened to find out how many Nigerians were affected by Ebola disease.
He added that the committee also sought to know what the Health Ministry has done to curb the spread which he said, was what most Nigerians were currently worried about.
He insisted that measures must be taken to protect people from contracting the virus further.
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