Posts
African States (ECOWAS), Olubukun Koye who escaped from quarantine in
Lagos after testing positive to Ebola virus and travelled to Port
Harcourt for treatment, an action that resulted in the death of the
doctor who treated him (Iyke Enemuo) may face manslaughter charges.
This is coming on the heels of report that the number of persons under
surveillance in the state for Ebola Virus Disease has increased from
100 to 160.
Sources told THISDAY that the issue of Koye (a primary contact of the
index case, late Liberian Partick Sawyer) who defied instruction not
to leave Lagos after being placed in the isolation unit, was discussed
at the Federal Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday and that the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed
Adoki was directed to look into the Nigerian laws and see how he could
be sanctioned for his action that resulted in the death of Enemuo.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson Parker while
giving an update on the EVD in the state, after recording its first
death from Ebola last week Friday, disclosed that the surveillance
list had increased to 160.
He said the state's contact tracing team was working seriously to make
sure that the spread of the EVD was contained in the state.
Parker also gave further insight into how the dreaded EVD crept into
the state and claimed its first victim.
He said the late Enemuo was aware that Koye, whom he treated, had
evaded the surveillance team in Lagos to travel to Port Harcourt.
Parker said: "He (Koye) had received the late Dr. Patrick Sawyer in
Lagos. Upon developing the symptom, he confided in a female colleague,
called Lillian, who contacted the late Dr. Enemuo. It was after
contact was established with Dr. Enemuo that Koye flew to Port
Harcourt to see Dr. Enemuo.
"To conceal his movement, Koye sneaked out of the isolation unit where
he was being observed and took a flight to Port Harcourt and switched
of his phone so that he cannot be reached or traced should he answer a
call.
"On arrival in Port Harcourt, Koye checked into a local hotel called
Mandate Hotel, around Rumuokoro in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of
the city."
The hotel, Parker said, was close to Enemuo's private clinic, Sam Steel Clinic.
Parker continued: "From what we have gathered so far, Dr. Enemuo,
knowing full well that Koye was positive of the Ebola virus took some
measure of precaution to protect himself while treating Koye. Knowing
the enormity of what he was doing. Dr. Enemuo upon Koye's departure
for Lagos poured bleach all over the room that Koye slept in order to
sanitise the place.
"Upon developing the Ebola symptom, Dr. Enemuo approached one of our
colleagues for treatment at Green Heart Hospital, along Evo Road, in
G.R.A. Dr. Enemuo did not tell the doctor that was treating him the
truth. He merely told him that he had fever. He lied. He did not tell
the doctor that was treating him his full story.
"But the doctor, a nice and conscientious professional suspected that
Dr. Enemuo was either hiding something or was suffering from a strange
ailment because he proved negative to malaria, fever and typhoid
fever. To be sure of what he was doing, he spoke to other very
experienced doctors about the strange case he was handling in his
hospital.
"He even invited some of his colleagues to come over to his hospital
to study Dr. Enemuo's medical history. Of course, the news of the
Ebola virus was everywhere, so, they were afraid to go. None of them
showed up at the hospital where Dr. Enemuo was being treated. His
condition continued to deteriorate and he eventually died and his body
was taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital."
Parker said Koye had returned to Lagos where the surveillance group
saw him and tested him of the EVD and that he had tested negative.
He said Koye neither disclosed to the people that he travelled to Port
Harcourt nor that he had treated himself of the disease.
According to the commissioner, "When news got to Koye that the doctor
that treated him in Port Harcourt had died, he collapsed. It was then
he opened up and confessed that Dr. Enemuo had treated him when he
travelled to Port Harcourt. He confessed that he sneaked out of Lagos
to Port Harcourt".
However, the authorities of the isolation centre in Lagos never
disclosed to the public that an ebola positive patient had escaped
from the centre when the incident occured. This information is only
just coming to light following the death of a doctor in Port Harcourt.
(thisday)
What a mess! How unnecessary.
0 comments:
Post a Comment