Nigeria prepares to evacuate Ebola patient abroad
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ThisDay
The 42-year-old Nigerian identified as the country’s first Ebola case is to be evacuated abroad for treatment, while two suspected cases have tested negative. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring 53 contacts, and the government is considering weekly assistance of 100,000 naira for people in quarantine, ThisDay reports.
Nigeria was preparing on Monday 26 October to evacuate its 42-year-old Ebola patient abroad for continued medical care. A medical evacuation aircraft was waiting at the airport and was due to take off at 6am, according to a source close to the matter cited by THISDAY.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said 53 primary contacts were being monitored, including 44 staff members at the hospital where the patient is isolated. Two suspected cases detected in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State also tested negative, according to NCDC Director-General Jide Idris.
The federal government is considering paying 100,000 naira a week to people placed in quarantine, in response to complaints about their care conditions. The arrangement is intended to be temporary, with states expected subsequently to provide for people being monitored in their territories, according to the NCDC. The patient is infected with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus and is receiving care in isolation, with infection prevention and control measures in place.
The evacuation follows the preparation of treatment centres in the states concerned, announced on 26 October. It also continues the patient’s treatment, after multiple organ failure was reported on 21 October.
