How Rivers Won Ebola War

An American writer,
Thomas Mann once wrote that; “all interest in disease and death is only another expression of interest in life”. And when humanity is astounded by a threat of annihilation by a strange and deadly ailment, it puts a puzzle of enquiry on medical science and its potency in addressing health challenges.
The outbreak of the Ebola virus Rivers State through the misadventure of a desperate victim and surjournist seeking medical remedy in the state was no doubt a confirmation of the earlier alarm raised by the Rivers State Government on the need for the state to be combat ready following the importation of the deadly virus into the country by Patrick Sawyer, an ECOWAS  diplomat. And so when the Rivers State Commissioner for Health Dr Sampson Parker somberly  announced the first case of Ebola virus in a state broadcast it was indeed part of the brunts and heat the state had to bear in the drive for its prime objective and high pedestal in National interest.
Apart from Lagos State were Patrick Sawyer offloaded his sinister barrage, Rivers became the second state with recorded case of Ebola virus in Nigeria. However, while the Government and people of Rivers State wished to be spared of the scourge Ebola, the disease snicked into town like a bogey man with full intent of perfidy through a potential epidemic. The fear of Ebola became the beginning of wisdom in the state. There was pandemonium and tales of the deadly virus was regaled around town and social and economic activities was threatened.
But the Rivers State Government immediately swung into action by deploying the appropriate logistic and necessary incentivea to contain the scourge of the deadly virus which the Hon Commissioner for Health rightly described as “Ebola war”.
As a swift response to the National Health Emergency and to adequately contain the outbreak of the virus in Rivers State, an Ebola emergency response committee headed by the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker was inaugurated in the sate with a mandate from the Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, to inaugurate similar committees in the 23 local government areas by Rivers State.
The flagship inauguration of the Local Government Ebola Emergency Response Committee was conducted in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, with the Hon Minister of Health, Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu as a Special Guest. The Hon Minister of Health was particularly impressed about the commitment of the Rivers State Government toward the fight against the Ebola Virus. Speaking to journalist in Port Harcourt, the Hon Minister declared that; “with the level of commitment demonstrated by the Rivers State Government toward the fight against the Ebola Virus, I have no doubt that Rivers State will adequately contain the disease.” The Hon Minister also assured the support of the Federal Government to the state in its effort to tackle the deadly virus.
One of the most striking measures adopted by the Rivers State Government to address the Health Emergency was the establishment of a quarantine centre at Oduoha in Emohua Local Government Area.  Although the choice of the centre was initially met with some resistance by the community leaders, the issue was later resolved amicably based on the exigencies. According to a community leader in Oduoha, “it was part of the contributions of the community towards the fight against Ebola in Rivers State.
As part of measures to effectively contain the spread of Ebola Virus in Rivers State, Dr Parker stated in a briefing with journalists that 526 contacts traceable directly and remotely to the first victim of Ebola, Dr Enoma were gathered and put under surveillance for proper diagnosis and treatment. The contacts were later discharged on completion of the 21 days of surveillance. While reaffirming the fact that Ebola has no vaccine for its cure the commissioner emphasised that early diagnosis was the only way of tackling the disease, by boosting the body immune system to resist the deadly virus.
The local government sensitisation campaign was as interesting as it was intriguing. The team led by the Hon Commissioner for Health, in Rivers State, Dr Sampson Parker, comprised of a medical team from the Rivers State Ministry of Health, volunteer workers, stakeholders in the Health sector and the media.
Dr Parker painstakingly took time to address the people in the various LGAs, on precautionary health safety measures of avoiding contact and transmission of the Ebola Virus. The Commissioner emphasised the need for personal hygiene, such as regular hand washing, and proper disposal of wastes, while the guest lecturer abreast the people on the origin and mode of transmission of the disease.
While most of the LGAs were full of gratitude and gave the sensitisation team maximum cooperation, others were skeptical over the existence of the Ebola virus and attached mythical and political undertone to the disease.
These varied stance was displayed in the type of questions raised in the various LGAs during the statewide sensitisation tour and Dr Parker patiently addressed the questions to calm the anxiety of the people.
Dr Parker also read a riot act to religions centres that engaged in the admission of patients with vague claims of wielding the magic wand to heal both spiritual and physical ailments. The commissioner who outlawed such activities said it put the people at risk of contacting not only Ebola but other diseases, pointing out that only trained medical personnels had the right to attend to sick patients. He said “The Rivers State Government would not only proscribe such centre but prosecute the perpetrators”. Another area of concern was the management of dead bodies. It was glaring that the African Culture which permits unfiltered romance with dead bodies, put people at risk of contacting Ebola, a practice that is reported to have decimated entire countries in Ebola hot pot.
To save the people form endangering themselves, through the practice, the commissioner said all deaths should be reported to the LGA emergence response teams for the authorises to ascertain the cause of death before burial.
The collaborative effort of the Federal Government and other concerned agencies such as the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Centre For Disease Control, National Orientation Agency NOA, and Development Partners also helped to contain  the spread of Ebola. While the Federal Government released the sum of N200.000.000 to assist the state, the National Orientation Agency in  collaboration with UNICEF, organised road shows and also took the anti Ebola campaign to market places, churches, and other public centres, such as hotels and motor parks.
Addressing journalisst, during a courtesy call on the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, the country representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Jean Gough commended the Rivers State Government over its proactive measure in containing the Ebola Virus. She said; “The African Union, and ECOWAS have a pivotal role to address the issue of Ebola from the worst affected areas, such as Liberia, Sirrealeone and Gunea to consolidate the success recorded in containing the disease in Nigeria”. The media also played a key role in the fight against Ebola as they became ambassadors of the Rivers State Government on Public Health awareness and reporting.
The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital UPTH, a tertiary institution at the apex of Health Care delivery in the South South region also partnered with the Rivers State in containing the Ebola Virus while the Ministry of Education also carried out health seminars for teachers to prepare them for management of pupil as school resumes. In the final analysis the concerted effort of all stakeholders helped to do the magic as their collaborative efforts cleared the briers on the highway to achieving success. Perhaps such level of collaboration is equally required to fight corruption and terrorism in Nigeria.

Taneh Beemene

Cross session of participants at the Ebola virus seminar organised for teachers in Rivers State by the Ministry of Education in Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Ibioye Diama