The Federal and Lagos State governments, yesterday, gave conflicting report on the five new Ebola victims suspected with the virus.

While the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu insisted that there were no new cases of the EVD in Nigeria, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris told journalist that five new suspected cases of Ebola have been recorded in the state.

 Idris in a press briefing disclosed that five new cases among which were two secondary contacts and three primary contacts with the index  case have been suspected to have contracted the dreaded Ebola Virus.

The commissioner said the suspected patient were been monitored at the Ebola isolation ward of the Mainland Hospital, Lagos,

“To date we have eight suspected cases and five of them came in yesterday. We have 12 confirmed cases and on the whole, five have died. We are currently following up 213 contacts and 62 have completed the 21-day follow-up.

 The commissioner commiserates with the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died during service to humanity

While the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu said that no other person have contacted the deadly Ebola Virus outside the two that are currently under treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.

Chukwu told Nigerians not take serious the report of the five new cases in Lagos State. “This report should be disregarded.”

The minister further reassured the public that any new confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease will be announced by his office promptly.

His words: “The latest death occurred Tuesday evening, and that is the death of the most senior doctor, Senior Consultant/Physician and Endocrinologist at First Consultant Hospital in Lagos, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh.

“Regrettably she lost her life to Ebola virus. Of course she contacted the disease from the Liberian-American who exported the disease to Nigeria in the course of treating that patient.

“Indeed she had to physically restrain this infected person from escaping from the hospital when the latter attempted to do so, having been communicated that he was Ebola-positive.

“Indeed, if that index case had escaped hospital at that stage it would have spelt disaster for Nigeria as many more persons would have been very difficult to track; and could have become primary contacts.

“There is no doubt that Dr. Adadevoh was not only a dedicated, committed and competent doctor, but she showed rare courage, rare sense of duty, service and patriotism to her country.”

Chukwu also enjoined the media to be cautious in reportage of Ebola cases in order not to cause unnecessary tension in the country.

“We appeal that when you are inviting anybody who is supposed to be an expert, especially at this time of national emergency, you may do well to seek our confirmation on whether the person is indeed an expert.

“We also want to state that some of the editorials we are seeing even today in some of the national dailies is an emotional thing quite alright, but we plead with the media to stay the course. For newspapers to say the Federal Government has been tardy in its response and has not addressed the issues at this time when the World Health Organization, the American government, the US Centre for Disease Control and the generality of Nigerians are commending government, I think it does not speak well of some of our media.

“Inciting the public against the Federal Government because we are emotionally connected to people who are today infected or had been infected of ebola virus disease will not help us as a country.

“The Government of Nigeria has done well, our health professionals even at the risk of their lives are participating in Lagos in managing this situation have done well. The doctors and nurses who work at First Consultants Hospital Lagos, we praise their courage; they have done well. The least we can do is to encourage others, some of whom intend to volunteer, to continue with the care until such a time this is brought under control.

“So all the editorials today are certainly in bad taste. We know they come from personal feelings but this is not the time for emotional outbursts. There is nothing the government has not done, no stone has been left unturned” he said.
He appealed that those who have been discharged should not be stigmatised because they don’t pose a threat to the society any longer.