United States President Barack Obama yesterday dashed the Federal Government’s hope of having experimental drug for the treatment of Ebola to Nigeria and other affected West African countries. Obama said Nigeria and other affected countries should instead focus on building a “strong public infrastructure.”
“I think we have to let the science guide us. And I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” he said.
He said the United States is working with European partners and the World Health Organization to provide resources to help contain the epidemic. “We’re focusing on the public health approach right now, because we know how to do that, but I will continue to seek information about what we’re learning with respect to these drugs going forward.” The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had yesterday said that the Federal Government was awaiting response from America on drug request.
Chukwu spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Defence Identification Centre (DNA) at the Magadishu Cantonment in Abuja. He said that the U.S. has not yet responded to Nigeria’s request for supply of the experimental drug used for the treatment of the deadly Ebola virus. “We have not received any response from them (America), we have made the request; we believe they will respond to us.
“But we know that this is still an experimental drug, some of the data required is now being collected, but they are now using it on people,” said Chukwu. Two Americans infected with Ebola have been treated with the experimental drug while nearly 1,000 Africans have already died from the deadly epidemic.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has granted life insurance for any health worker who dies of the Ebola virus. “This insurance scheme covers health workers who may wish to join in the fight against Ebola virus,” he stated.
The minister called on the international community to see Ebola virus as a global threats that needs to be jointly fought. The minister highlighted measures taken so far by government which include training of health workers, border screening, provision of personal protective equipment for medical personnel, surveillance of about 70 persons and about eight persons quarantined. In the meantime, the ECOWAS Commission has suspended all meetings involving member states of the commission due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in some West African countries.
The Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Toga McIntosh, announced this at a briefing organised by the Nigerian government for the diplomatic corps on Ebola outbreak in Abuja.
McIntosh said the management of the commission took the decision as a precautionary measure to check the spread of the virus. He said only meetings that were “very essential” would be convened by the commission but he did not provide any specifics. “We know that all of our meetings bring together, stakeholders from the member states. “So, on August 4, when we had our management meeting we took a decision to suspend all meetings that will bring us together from our various countries.
“Let’s watch this spread and let’s see how this will go down, and then thereafter, we can see how we can proceed. “Except if the meeting is so essential and we are well guided we will approve,’’ he said. Patrick Sawyer, the 40-year-old Liberian and American, who died of the virus in Lagos, flew in from Monrovia to attend an ECOWAS meeting in Calabar. The ECOWAS official said all staff of the commission, including the driver and protocol officers who made direct contact with Sawyer before his death has been placed under surveillance.
The vice president of the ECOWAS Commission, Torsh, said that they have concluded arrangements to fumigate all the things that the late Sawyer used or had contact with before his death. As a fallout of the virus, Greece and India have warned their citizens to avoid non-essential travels to Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone because of the outbreak of Ebola virus in these West African countries.
A statement issued by the Greek Health Ministry said the recommendation was after a meeting with the Hellenic Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO). The ministry said the country would take “precautionary measures” at ports and other entry points to monitor people coming into the country.
Similarly, India Union’s Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, was reported as saying that the country had taken precautionary steps to deal with any case of the virus. In a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Vardhan recommended that non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria be deferred.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that it has not received any formal communication from Saudi Arabia indicating that Nigeria has been banned from taking part in this year’s hajj exercise following the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus in the country.
There has been a report that countries from the West African region including Nigeria have been banned by the Saudi Arabia government against the outbreak of the virus in Liberia, Serria Leone and lately Nigeria.
The Commission, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Uba Mana, stated that only three countries in the West African sub region have been banned from this year hajj by the Saudi Arabia authority. The countries include Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
The Commission maintained that arrangements for this year’s Hajj are ongoing and have not been hampered by any internal or external factors. In Ogun, the state government has written the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Nasrul-Lahi-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) as well as some religious organisations operating in the state to shelve large religious gatherings to contain the outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
This came as the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday met with different security agencies in the state towards ensuring optimal monitoring of border areas.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta yesterday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, confirmed that the government had written letters to some religious organisations to warn them about the Ebola risk. Soyinka disclosed that the RCCG was informed through a letter to suspend its ongoing 62nd annual convention in order to curb physical contact among religious adherents.
He, however, stated that the church was not willing to cancel the convention due to its preparations which had reached advanced stage. The commissioner added that the state government had advised other religious organisations in the state to drop any plan to hold large gatherings, at least in the meantime.
Meanwhile, there was confusion yesterday as to the status of the ongoing industrial action by the medical doctors across the country. While the president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe, declared that the strike had been called off to enable doctors assist in the national emergency as a result of Ebola, some of the doctors denied such. The industrial action commenced since July 1, 2014.
In a press release jointly signed by 1st and 2nd national Vice president of the NMA, Dr. Titus S. Ibekwe and Dr Bartholomew Okorochukwu, yesterday in Abuja they stated that the strike continues.
“At the Emergency Delegates Meeting of the Association held in Abuja on Wednesday August 6, 2014, it was unanimously agreed by also the delegates present after viewing all the demands made by the NMA that Government is yet to attend to the demands to the satisfaction of the Nigerian doctors; thereby upheld that the strike action must continue until government does the needful,” the duo stated.
Investigations by New Telegraph revealed that while some top executives favour ending the strike in line with popular demand so as to respond the national health emergency on ground, many delegates from the states opposed the position on the ground that even if the strike would be suspended, government must be made to commit to some compelling demands. As at press time, calls put through to the President of the NMA, Obembe was not responded to.
Similarly, text messages to him to confirm that that the strike had been suspended was not replied. Reacting to the development, the 2nd Vice Chairman, NMA, Lagos State, Dr. Olusegun Akinwotu admitted that actually there was disagreement among the doctors during the meeting on Wednesday, “the differences were resolved finally before the end of the meeting.”
President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has implored medical doctors to see the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the country as a national emergency that should necessitate the immediate suspension of their strike and return to duty.
In a statement signed in Abuja yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate, Mr. Paul Mumeh, Mark enjoined the doctors to be patriotic enough to put aside whatever grievances or misgivings they had with government and return to work in order to help tackle the prevailing health challenge in the country. Mark asserted that if the aggrieved medical practitioners failed to listen to voices of reason to call off their on-going industrial action, it would be tantamount to sentencing the citizens of Nigeria to untimely death.
“Nobody is opposed to the doctors’ demands. They are genuine and I think they are reasonable. But what is paramount now is that there is an emergency that demands extra-ordinary measures to tackle,” Mark stressed.
But a group, Legal Defence & Assistance Project Ltd/Gte, LEDAP, yesterday filed an action in the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja against the NMA asking the court for interpretation of section 6(6) of the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005. Police and soldiers in Sierra Leone yesterday blocked rural areas hit by the deadly Ebola virus.
A senior health official said this has become imperative following the declaration of state of emergency by its neighbouring Liberia to tackle the worst-ever outbreak of the disease, which has killed 932 people. Liberian President Ellen Johnson has declared 90 days state of emergency to combat an outbreak of Ebola
NEW TELEGRAPH
“I think we have to let the science guide us. And I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” he said.
He said the United States is working with European partners and the World Health Organization to provide resources to help contain the epidemic. “We’re focusing on the public health approach right now, because we know how to do that, but I will continue to seek information about what we’re learning with respect to these drugs going forward.” The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had yesterday said that the Federal Government was awaiting response from America on drug request.
Chukwu spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Defence Identification Centre (DNA) at the Magadishu Cantonment in Abuja. He said that the U.S. has not yet responded to Nigeria’s request for supply of the experimental drug used for the treatment of the deadly Ebola virus. “We have not received any response from them (America), we have made the request; we believe they will respond to us.
“But we know that this is still an experimental drug, some of the data required is now being collected, but they are now using it on people,” said Chukwu. Two Americans infected with Ebola have been treated with the experimental drug while nearly 1,000 Africans have already died from the deadly epidemic.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has granted life insurance for any health worker who dies of the Ebola virus. “This insurance scheme covers health workers who may wish to join in the fight against Ebola virus,” he stated.
The minister called on the international community to see Ebola virus as a global threats that needs to be jointly fought. The minister highlighted measures taken so far by government which include training of health workers, border screening, provision of personal protective equipment for medical personnel, surveillance of about 70 persons and about eight persons quarantined. In the meantime, the ECOWAS Commission has suspended all meetings involving member states of the commission due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in some West African countries.
The Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Toga McIntosh, announced this at a briefing organised by the Nigerian government for the diplomatic corps on Ebola outbreak in Abuja.
McIntosh said the management of the commission took the decision as a precautionary measure to check the spread of the virus. He said only meetings that were “very essential” would be convened by the commission but he did not provide any specifics. “We know that all of our meetings bring together, stakeholders from the member states. “So, on August 4, when we had our management meeting we took a decision to suspend all meetings that will bring us together from our various countries.
“Let’s watch this spread and let’s see how this will go down, and then thereafter, we can see how we can proceed. “Except if the meeting is so essential and we are well guided we will approve,’’ he said. Patrick Sawyer, the 40-year-old Liberian and American, who died of the virus in Lagos, flew in from Monrovia to attend an ECOWAS meeting in Calabar. The ECOWAS official said all staff of the commission, including the driver and protocol officers who made direct contact with Sawyer before his death has been placed under surveillance.
The vice president of the ECOWAS Commission, Torsh, said that they have concluded arrangements to fumigate all the things that the late Sawyer used or had contact with before his death. As a fallout of the virus, Greece and India have warned their citizens to avoid non-essential travels to Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone because of the outbreak of Ebola virus in these West African countries.
A statement issued by the Greek Health Ministry said the recommendation was after a meeting with the Hellenic Center of Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO). The ministry said the country would take “precautionary measures” at ports and other entry points to monitor people coming into the country.
Similarly, India Union’s Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, was reported as saying that the country had taken precautionary steps to deal with any case of the virus. In a statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Vardhan recommended that non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria be deferred.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that it has not received any formal communication from Saudi Arabia indicating that Nigeria has been banned from taking part in this year’s hajj exercise following the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus in the country.
There has been a report that countries from the West African region including Nigeria have been banned by the Saudi Arabia government against the outbreak of the virus in Liberia, Serria Leone and lately Nigeria.
The Commission, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Uba Mana, stated that only three countries in the West African sub region have been banned from this year hajj by the Saudi Arabia authority. The countries include Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
The Commission maintained that arrangements for this year’s Hajj are ongoing and have not been hampered by any internal or external factors. In Ogun, the state government has written the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Nasrul-Lahi-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) as well as some religious organisations operating in the state to shelve large religious gatherings to contain the outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
This came as the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday met with different security agencies in the state towards ensuring optimal monitoring of border areas.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta yesterday, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, confirmed that the government had written letters to some religious organisations to warn them about the Ebola risk. Soyinka disclosed that the RCCG was informed through a letter to suspend its ongoing 62nd annual convention in order to curb physical contact among religious adherents.
He, however, stated that the church was not willing to cancel the convention due to its preparations which had reached advanced stage. The commissioner added that the state government had advised other religious organisations in the state to drop any plan to hold large gatherings, at least in the meantime.
Meanwhile, there was confusion yesterday as to the status of the ongoing industrial action by the medical doctors across the country. While the president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Kayode Obembe, declared that the strike had been called off to enable doctors assist in the national emergency as a result of Ebola, some of the doctors denied such. The industrial action commenced since July 1, 2014.
In a press release jointly signed by 1st and 2nd national Vice president of the NMA, Dr. Titus S. Ibekwe and Dr Bartholomew Okorochukwu, yesterday in Abuja they stated that the strike continues.
“At the Emergency Delegates Meeting of the Association held in Abuja on Wednesday August 6, 2014, it was unanimously agreed by also the delegates present after viewing all the demands made by the NMA that Government is yet to attend to the demands to the satisfaction of the Nigerian doctors; thereby upheld that the strike action must continue until government does the needful,” the duo stated.
Investigations by New Telegraph revealed that while some top executives favour ending the strike in line with popular demand so as to respond the national health emergency on ground, many delegates from the states opposed the position on the ground that even if the strike would be suspended, government must be made to commit to some compelling demands. As at press time, calls put through to the President of the NMA, Obembe was not responded to.
Similarly, text messages to him to confirm that that the strike had been suspended was not replied. Reacting to the development, the 2nd Vice Chairman, NMA, Lagos State, Dr. Olusegun Akinwotu admitted that actually there was disagreement among the doctors during the meeting on Wednesday, “the differences were resolved finally before the end of the meeting.”
President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has implored medical doctors to see the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the country as a national emergency that should necessitate the immediate suspension of their strike and return to duty.
In a statement signed in Abuja yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate, Mr. Paul Mumeh, Mark enjoined the doctors to be patriotic enough to put aside whatever grievances or misgivings they had with government and return to work in order to help tackle the prevailing health challenge in the country. Mark asserted that if the aggrieved medical practitioners failed to listen to voices of reason to call off their on-going industrial action, it would be tantamount to sentencing the citizens of Nigeria to untimely death.
“Nobody is opposed to the doctors’ demands. They are genuine and I think they are reasonable. But what is paramount now is that there is an emergency that demands extra-ordinary measures to tackle,” Mark stressed.
But a group, Legal Defence & Assistance Project Ltd/Gte, LEDAP, yesterday filed an action in the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja against the NMA asking the court for interpretation of section 6(6) of the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005. Police and soldiers in Sierra Leone yesterday blocked rural areas hit by the deadly Ebola virus.
A senior health official said this has become imperative following the declaration of state of emergency by its neighbouring Liberia to tackle the worst-ever outbreak of the disease, which has killed 932 people. Liberian President Ellen Johnson has declared 90 days state of emergency to combat an outbreak of Ebola
NEW TELEGRAPH
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