EVD, a treat with Fash after survival

Governor, Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state,yesterday September 18th, at his office at the state Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja, gave some Ebola survivors a treat.  They made statements that the disease wasn’t a death sentence.

The survivors in attendance included the widow of late Port Harcourt doctor, Dr Emenuo Kelechi (left), Dr Ibeawuchi Morris (second left), Dr Fadipe Akinniyi (centre), Mr. Dennis Akagha (late Nurse Justina Ejelonu's fiance) and Dr Adaora Igonoh.

Dr. Ibeabuchi Morris said he was the first to receive late Sawyer at the hospital where he was first treated for Malaria.

He said after the patient continued to have high temperature, he took the blood sample and sent it to the laboratory, then contacted Dr. Stella Adadevoh who advised him to continue attending to the patient pending the arrival of the test result. EVD positive was confirmed and Sawyer died a few days later.

After 12 days, symptoms started manifesting, continue rise in temperature above 38.5 degrees Celsius. He then reported to Lagos State Ministry of Health and contact with his family was henceforth stop.

Decontamination was carried out at his house and he experience continuous temperature rise above 40 degrees. He was then moved to the isolation Centre. However, he thanks all those involved in taking care of him during that period.

Another survivor, Dr. Adaora Igonoh, thanked the Governor and the Government for their fight against the spread of the disease which made it possible for some victims, including her to survive.

Dr. Igonoh, a staff of First Consultants Hospital, commends the hospital and staff for the risk they took to ensure that the disease did not spread beyond the limit it did. She also paid tribute to those who lost their lives, adding that without their sacrifice, the story would probably have been different.

Also at the treat, Mr. Dennis Akagha, fiancee to Justina Akagha, a nursing staff of First Consultants Hospital who died days after attending to Patrick Sawyer, said he got to hear about his fiancee's contact with Sawyer when the death of the Liberian was announced on television. She later told him she'd treated Sawyer.

He said when the symptoms of the disease started manifesting in Justina, they first thought it was pregnancy induced or Malaria because she'd told him she wore protective gloves while attending to Sawyer. He said that on the 14th day, Justina's condition worsened and he took her to First Consultants from where he was directed to the Isolation Centre in Yaba where she later passed on.

He disclosed that he did not immediately go to hospital when he started manifesting the symptoms until he started vomiting and feeling dehydrated. He said he was finally taken to the Isolation Centre where he was treated and discharged after he tested negative of the virus.

Other survivors at the treat were Dr. Fadipe Akinniyi, also a staff of First Consultants Hospital and Dr. (Mrs.) Kelechi Emenuo, wife of late Dr. Emenuo, who treated one of Mr. Sawyer’s companions in Port Harcourt and later died of the disease.