Nigeria has continued to record success in the management and treatment of the deadly Ebola virus as four more people who had been undergoing treatment for the disease were on Monday discharged from the Lagos treatment centre after being certified free.
This is coming as the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, said in Abuja yesterday that ZMapp, a US manufactured drug for Ebola treatment was not available in large quantity.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, made this known in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Mr. Dan Nwomeh, saying that the four discharged persons comprised two male medical doctors, a female nurse and a female patient.
“The Minister of Health has announced that four additional confirmed cases of EVD who have been managed successfully and are now disease free have been discharged today(Monday).
“They include two male medical doctors and one female nurse. The three participated in the treatment of the index case (Sawyer) while the fourth person was a female patient at the time the index case was on admission.
“This brings to five, the total number of patients diagnosed with EVD who have now been discharged from hospital,” Chukwu stated.
Meanwhile, Entwistle told journalists after his meeting with the minister of Health, Professor Chukwu that ZMapp, a US manufactured drug for Ebola treatment was not available in large quantity.
“On the issue of experimental drugs, we’ll see down the road what is possible. But there are not huge quantities now. And we think the focus now needs to be on exactly what you (Nigerians) are doing, the isolation ward and screening. It is especially important that now your government is doing a very good job on contact tracing.
“I noticed that when I flew into this country on Thursday night, before I left the plane, I filled out a questionnaire. I was very impressed because I even had to put in my seat number which is a very good idea.
“So, if you ever have to trace the guy sitting next to me, you know where I am. So I have been impressed by these things and I encourage the government of Nigeria to keep at it as I know they will.
“I always say we have a broad partnership between our two countries which means we do things together as equals to make the world a better place. I can’t think of a more important example today than our Ebola cooperation.
“It may last for a while but there are some encouraging signs. The Emergency Operation Centre I understand is working well. The isolation ward I understand is working well.
“As part of the broad partnership between our two countries, we have to just keep collaborating and cooperating and keep working hard,” the Ambassador said.
