Is it back in Nigeria or not? Nobody knows for sure…
But then the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has quarantined 10 persons following the death of a patient in the hospital on Wednesday with symptoms suspected to be Ebola virus.
Dr. Queeneth Kalu, Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee of the hospital who made the revelation on Thursday in Calabar while addressing the media said blood samples have been sent to the Ebola Diagnosing Centre in Benin Edo State.
Dr. Kalu stated that those quarantined are principally nurses who attended to the patient and those who came in contact with him before his death.
She said: “On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, we managed a patient who presented with symptoms mimicking viral hemorrhage (Ebola Virus) and have decided to take the necessary measures.
“The following have been informed: National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, The Cross River State Government, Calabar Municipality, and the Department of State Security Services, DSS”
She added that information would be provided to the public as soon as the test results of blood samples sent for analysis in received by the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Cross River Government has said that it was awaiting results of blood samples of a patient, who died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) with symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever.
Dr Sunday Omini, Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, said this on Thursday in Calabar.
Omini was reacting to media reports that a suspected Ebola patient died in UCTH on Wednesday.
His words: “We are aware of the situation and we have got preliminary reports from the hospital, and we are all awaiting the result of the blood samples. But judging from the information I have received so far, I am 90 per cent sure that it is not Ebola. However, we are on top of the situation, there is no cause for alarm.”
And, the Federal Government has dispatched a team of medical team to Calabar to ascertain the suspected Ebola scare.
The accident and emergency ward of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital has been shut down following the Ebola Virus scare.
The scare was as a result of the death of a patient, who died at about 2pm, after symptoms related to the deadly Ebola virus manifested before he finally passed away.
Reports say the patient, whose identity could not be ascertained, was brought in from Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State on Tuesday with high body temperature while at the same time was vomiting, stooling and bleeding from nose.
The patient died shortly after samples were taken from him for investigation.
However, the Federal Ministry of Health has ruled out the case of Ebola, saying that it suspected that the patient could have died of Haemorrhagic fever.
According to the Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, a team has been dispatched to Calabar to verify the case.
He also said that the government is awaiting the result of the laboratory investigation.
Nasidi also assured Nigerians that there was nothing to fear about as appropriate measures have been taken to protect the people and even those who might have had contact with the patient.
He further said that the Federal Government team is already on ground to assist the state.
The hospital’s accident and emergency ward has already been quarantined in order to curtail any spread in the eventuality that it was a case of Ebola.
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