The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, has designated the General Hospital, Kuje, in Kuje Area Council, as Isolation Centre for persons infected with the Ebola virus.
He also inaugurated 25-man committee to work out modalities for responding to the threat of Ebola virus and create awareness on the nature and symptoms of the virus.
The minister, who spoke during a high-powered stakeholder’s interactive forum in Abuja, said the hospital was chosen because it would be easy for residents of the FCT to access it.
He said a ward in the hospital would be exclusively made a place where people with the disease could be quarantined and be on surveillance, among others.
Mohammed also noted that adequate infrastructure and equipment would be put in place to manage affected persons and guard against the spread of the virus, stressing that “all precautionary measures have been put in place to ensure that the designation of the ward will not endanger the health workers and residents of Kuje”.
He then directed the Chairman of the council to sensitize its populace, rather than preventing FCT Administration from using the hospital.
His words, “The hospital is the only option for us to isolate as a centre for Ebola patients; Gwagwalada hospital that is for FCT has being taken from us, we have no other option than to use it.
“We will put all infrastructure needed in place to avoid its spread; doctors will be given adequate training and best way to curtail the disease from spreading’’, he said.
The minister further advised the six area council chairmen to enlighten their people on routine cleaning and disinfecting their hands at all times.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the FCT Health Secretariat, Dr Demola Onakomaiya noted that the transmission of the disease in human was through direct contact with blood or body secretion, among others.
He denied the recent rumours of Ebola in the territory, informing that the three suspected cases being raised by FCT residents were mere rumours.
Onakomaiya pointed out that the people at risk of the disease are the health care givers and family members of infected persons, stressing that there is no specific medication or vaccine for its cure.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Rui Jaz, in his reaction, said the organisation would support the administration in its plans to curtail the disease.
Jaz argued that bitter kola could cure the disease as speculated, adding that it had not been proven by scientists.
The Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Medical Association, FCT chapter, Dr Akeem Lawal, who noted that the association had held two meetings since the outbreak of the disease, said, “we are planning to hold another meeting very soon to call off our strike that has lasted for more than six weeks’’, he said.
For the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Shabal Tete who also spoke at the forum, the designation of the hospital as Ebola centre was not a welcome development to the people of the area.