Ebola Care: We Don’t Have Enough Staff to Treat Patients – LASG

At a press conference addressed in Lagos by Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris and his counterparts in Information and Strategy, Mr. Remi Ibirogba as well as that of Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, the State Government said the centre is equipped with a 40 bed complex with male and female wards for confirmed cases.

Idris said an eight bed isolation ward has been upgraded to hold suspected cases backed up by two emergency tents to hold additional 24 suspected cases.

He said the facility has a dedicated borehole, a 60 KVA generator backed up by a 250 KVA unit for the entire complex; involvement of officials of Lagos State Waste Management Authority(LAWMA) for medical waste management and two 5000 litres septic tanks, one each for urine and faces decontaminated prior to evacuation.

He said it is not true that the patients are lacking proper care since those who make the allegation are even not experts in Ebola disease. He said Nigeria is lucky to have a specialist in Ebola disease, noting that the expert at the Centre for Disease Control has insisted that even qualified doctors would need special training on handling of kits in the isolation centre.

“Our attention has been drawn to allegations by some individuals and associations that sub-standard Personal Protective Equipment(PPEs) are being used at this facility. I make bold to say that this is out-rightly false as these Pandemic Level III PPEs are the same once also being used by our international partners without objections”, Idris said.

He said the centre which has 11 patients is currently manned by 5 doctors and 8 nurses adding that the state is also getting support from international organisations.

He said the state government is yet to receive funds from the Federal Government but hopeful. He however thanked the Federal Ministry of Health for providing technical assistance.

He said that the state is yet to receive consignment of the Nano Silver from the Federal Government stressing that he will get the latest updates during the briefing with officials of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control in the evening.

He however appealed to Nigerians to continue to volunteer to assist the patients stressing that it will be illogical to expect outsiders to volunteer if Nigerians are not interested.