Lagos not yet free of Ebola, but spread under control, says Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State said on Monday that the state was yet to be free of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), but that the combined efforts by the state and the Federal Government have significantly contained the transmission of the deadly disease.

The governor also confirmed plans to expose and celebrate eight survivors of the disease, saying it is a positive development in this part of the world. He also confirmed the receipt of the N200 million financial support earlier announced by the Federal Government.

Fashola, who briefed journalists at Lagos House, Ikeja, shortly after receiving donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) from MTN Nigeria, led by its chairman, Paschal Dozie, to combat the spread of the disease, confirmed that only two more patients are left at the state Ebola isolation centre while several contacts traced are still under surveillance.

He said while the response to the outbreak of the EVD by the governments and the efforts by medical personnel who put their lives on the line has demystified the disease, proving it is not an automatic dead sentence, the governor observed that the major challenge was sufficiency of experts to deal with the matter.

“The real problem is the sufficiency of experienced virologists and Ebola specialist in managing the disease, and when the sub-region is challenged on many fronts that capacity thins out. That really is the problem, so it is not always a money problem. As at this time it isn’t really an equipment problem. It is a human capacity problem.

“We are at the stage where like I said before we do not need to panic, Ebola virus is not automatic death sentence, a lot of knowledge is being gained on daily basis even at this moment about the behaviour of the virus and that knowledge helps the scientist to prepare even better to respond.”

“Different types of virus have been identified and we now have clarity about the length and life span of the virus. That body of knowledge helps in the management of disease.”

The governor who lauded MTN Nigeria for always been there to lend its support in the two critical pillars of health and education sectors in their bid to build good society, added that the gesture has helped to build the state’s human capital.