The Kwara State Government yesterday, announced the
immediate closure of a private hospital in the metropolis over a
suspected Ebola virus contamination. Announcing the closure of the hospital,
the Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Public Health,
Professor Sunday Opabola, and his counterpart on Secondary Health, Dr Ibrahim
Gambari, said the seven months old baby girl suspected to be infected
with the virus has already been isolated and quarantined in a specialist
hospital. According to Professor Opabola the baby girl came into the state with
her mother as visitors from Ibadan, Oyo State. He explained that upon their
entry into the state recently, the child was taken to a hospital over a case of
malaria, adding that after the baby had spent three days on admission and there
was no sign of improvement, the doctor treating her reported the case to the
Ministry of Health for prompt action. He said after close examination, the
patient’s vomit was discovered to have traces of blood, which was taken and
sent to Lagos for laboratory examination.
He said, “if not for the situation on ground, malaria, cholera and
other cases in babies can come with such symptoms like that of Ebola virus.
Opabola said the state government shut down the hospital and placed it
under surveillance to prevent possible spread of the disease. He said
the state government has already ordered for immediate purchase of
Ebola test machine from Abuja and it would be installed at the Kwara Diagnostic
Centre, Ilorin, adding that the state had created three isolation centres in
Sobi Specialist Hospital, Omu-Aran General Hospital and the General Hospital,
Okuta a border town of the state. He assured that there was no cause for alarm
because the state was safe.
Sun Newspaper
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