By Etuka Sunday
The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday announced the indefinite shutdown of its clinic in the Muri Okunola area of Victoria Island, Lagos, following a suspected case of Ebola virus on admission at the clinic.
It was discovered, that the patient visited the First Consultant Medical Centre during the period the first Ebola case was reported at that clinic.
The Corporation in statement explained that the pre-emptive step was taken after the case was duly reported to the Federal Ministry of Health as well as officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
“In the meantime, all contacts with this case are being traced and adequate precautionary measures instituted to contain the possible spread of the disease,’’ the Corporation stated.
The medical team has assured that the patient is in stable condition.
Meanwhile, the Senior Registrar, Department of Family Medicine, LASUTH, Dr. Sodipo Oluwajimi, has said that the Nigerian Medical Association is trying to liaise with the Lagos State Government to provide a secured place that would be used to treat people infected with the Ebola Virus to prevent its spread.
He reiterated the need for persons infected with the Ebola virus to be kept in an isolated area to be able to reduce the risk of spreading.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, Dr. Oluwajimi noted that the doctors’ strike has not yet been called off, but there is a centre in Yaba which is equipped and is taking care of people infected with Ebola virus.
He mentioned that the doctors treating these affected patients have previously worked on patients infected with other similar infections, which has made them have some form of infection control mechanism.
Dr. Oluwajimi advised that when a patient is critically ill or has an infection, there should be a high level of infection control to prevent the spread of the disease.
He revealed that there had been no case of the Ebola virus at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) but mentioned that all cases of infections are being referred to Infectious Disease Hospital which he says has been managing people with high level of infections.
Dr. Oluwajimi also explained that people do not become symptomatic unless there is a contact and there is the primary contact, secondary contact and tertiary contact. He explained that primary contact is directly with someone that has the virus, while the secondary and tertiary contacts depend on the number of contacts leading to the primary carrier of the virus.
He disclosed that the Government was monitoring people that came in contact with the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, to prevent more spread.
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