Ebola: Kuje isolation centre safe, ready for use

By Najib Husaini

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reiterated that it is working assiduously towards ensuring that the lives of other patients at the Kuje General Hospital and the entire Kuje council are adequately protected from the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), in the event of any outbreak, in the Territory.

This is coming on the heels of the completion of the 10 bed isolation centre located at the hospital as part of its preparedness towards combating the threat of EVD in some parts of the country, despite of the unending protest from people in Kuje over the sitting of the centre in the area.

Equally, FCT administration, noted that as part of the preventive measures as directed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it has provided requisite trainings for all level of health workers at the hospital.

The Executive Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, made the point during a recent project inspection visit to the hospital to ascertain the level of progress there.

Onakomaiya said that contrary to reports by some sections of media, the 10 bed isolation unit has undergone total renovation, with remodeled wards, old doors replaced with new ones.

To ensure free flow of waste and comfort of patients, he disclosed that plumbing fittings and waste pipes were completely replaced, including re-electrification of the place.

“It’s interesting to know that the isolation unit is totally independent of all other units, contrary to speculations that they are together with other wards.

“The unit has independent facilities for the use of each patient. Also we have ensured that new perimeter fences were erected around the unit to ensure maximum security at the unit as well as the patients,” he stressed.

The Secretary pointed out that extra six bed ward was added to the facility, for the accommodation patients with unconfirmed Ebola cases.

He stressed that the Secretariat has concluded plans with the Central Medical Store to give out necessary drugs for managing patients with Ebola virus disease, as well as the personal protective equipment for health workers to use to fight and treat any person infected with the disease.