Ebola -free: Lagos okays N50m grants to First Consultant Medical Centre, others

As the World Health Organization,
Monday, declared Nigeria Ebola
Virus Disease, EVD,-free officially,
after 42 days of two incubation
periods without any new confirmed
cases of the deadly virus, Lagos
state government also, on Monday,
disclosed various plans to nip in
the bud any likelihood outbreak of
EVD, saying the state is not out of
the wood yet.
The state government also
revealed plans to present N50
million to First Consultant Medical
Centre, Obalende, where the Index
case,Mr Patrick Sawyer died and
undisclosed amount to other Ebola
causalities and survivors in the
state as business support gesture.
The state Commissioner for Health,
Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this at a
joint media conference in Alausa,
Ikeja, which had in attendance
Commissioner for Information and
Strategy, Aderemi Ibirogba,
Commissioner for Special Duties,
Dr. Wale Ahmed and Special
Adviser to the Governor on Public
Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina.
Idris who described the outbreak
and the eventual containment of
the Ebola in the state and the
country as phenomenon, noted
that significantly, till date Nigeria
has contributed only 0,22 percent
and 0.18 percent to global burden
of suspected, probable, confirmed
cases and deaths respectively.
He explained that 891 cumulative
number of contacts were recorded
nationally, 365 in Lagos and 526
in Rivers while contacts that
completed 21 days follow-up
nationally is 890, Lagos 365 and
525 in Rivers and a total of eight
deaths recorded in all.
Idris who enumerated various
preventive measures to be taken by
the state government
subsequently, stressed that there
was the need to address the
economic consequences under
following consideration; “Support
to affected persons including those
alive and N50 million lump sum as
business support gesture to First
Consultant Medical Centre.
“This is with view to getting
people, businesses back on their
feet and for businesses to re-
secure patronage of their
customers.”
Idris emphasized that it was an
attempt at compensation but a
gesture of goodwill on the part of
government.