NMA leads fight against Ebola in Benue

Stephen Hwande, the chairman, Nigeria Medical Association Benue State Chapter, says the association is the first to lead the sensitisation campaign against the possible spread of the Ebola disease in the state.

Hwande, who made this disclosure in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay in Makurdi the Benue State capital, said as a member of the Rapid Response Team set up by the Benue State government, there is at present no case of Ebola in the state.

On their sensitisation activities on the spread of the disease which he said has no cure, Hwande said so far they have been able to meet with the stakeholders including members of the Federal Road Safety Corp, Civil Defence Corps, National Orientation Agency, Market Women, Road Transport Workers, Students and other groups which form the rationale behind the just concluded “One-Day Sensitisation Workshop on the Prevention of Ebola Virus at the College of Health Science Benue State University, Makurdi”.

Explaining the duties of the Rapid Response Team set up by the state government, Hwande said the resolution of the meeting with officials of the Benue state Ministry of Health and Human Services was to take the sensitisation campaign on Ebola to the 23 local government areas of the state stressing that emergency phone numbers have been given to doctors to report cases of suspected diagnosis of Ebola.

The two contact persons according to him are; Joseph Kumba, director of public health and Kur Head, epidemiological unit, both from the Benue state Ministry of Health and Human Services.

In the event of any Ebola case in the state, Hwande said the victims would be taken  to the designated isolation centres which include Federal Medical Centre which is in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Benue State University Teaching Hospital. He stressed the need for health workers to increase enlightenment campaign and accessibility on preventive gadgets, life Insurance and incentives.

“Currently, we have diagnosed ten people and four have died but this is in Lagos. We are worried that people were quarantined in Enugu which borders with Benue State. Apart from the public lecture, materials have been circulated on Ebola and the Rapid response Team has jingles in the mass media as well as press releases. So far, these are our sensitisation efforts with the help  of the press,” Hwande declared to Benue people.

Barnes Agirigi