The Minister spoke on Saturday while breaking the good news that the first Nigerian confirmed to have contracted the Ebola virus had been discharged after full recovery.
Mr. Chukwu, who briefed newsmen in Lagos, said the patient was discharged “after conclusive discharge protocols’’, adding that she could go home to resume her normal life.
The female doctor had attended to the Liberian, Mr Patrick Sawyer, who brought the disease to Nigeria.
The minister however debunked reports that the discharged female doctor’s medical name was given as Dr. Adadevor.
He said five other Ebola patients have almost fully recovered.
Mr. Chukwu said the number of confirmed Ebola cases had risen to 12.
Four of the cases, including the index case, Patrick Sawyer, have passed on while 189 persons are under surveillance in Lagos, and six in Enugu.
The minister said all the persons under surveillance were secondary contacts.
Mr. Chukwu added, “All the patients under treatment have now moved to the new 40-bed capacity isolated ward provided by the Lagos State Government.
“Additional equipment has also been made available to the new isolating ward by the Federal Government’’, he said.
The minister also said that the Nanosilver drug which was made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos on Aug. 14, did not meet basic research requirements.
“The experimental drug, Nanosilver, did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code.
“Accordingly, approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee.
“Other candidate drugs are being evaluated by the Treatment Research Group of Ebola Disease.
“As soon as any of the experimental drugs is cleared by the National Health Research Ethics Committee and is made available, we shall include it in the treatment regimen subject to the informed consent of the patient.’’
The minister also debunked speculations that there are Ebola cases in Imo, Abia and Cross River States, adding that the case of the disease in Kwara was still under investigation.
“The mother of the child in Kwara tested negative and we are still investigating the child. Also, the corpse in Anambra was embalmed and we are awaiting result of the test.
“All the mortuary attendants who had contact with the corpse tested negative, so there is no need to panic’’, he said.
On the suspension of resident doctors’ training by the Federal Government, Mr. Chukwu said there had been problems with the training which also informed the ongoing doctors’ strike.
According to the minister, the suspension is with all federal government hospitals, adding that states’ teaching hospitals were not affected.
“The government suspended the training to allow for critical investigation and come up with better ways to improve the training.’’
Mr. Chukwu said the paperwork for insurance package for volunteers was ongoing, adding that the Lagos State Government had commenced implementation of insurance package for health workers.
(NAN)
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