Striking Doctors Offer To Come Back And Help Fight The Ebola Virus

Doctors in Lagos state, who are on a stirke, have volunteered their services to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Yaba, Lagos to help fight the Ebola virus.

Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State chapter chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo, said this at a recent press briefing yesterday and revealed that the strike wont hinder their members from helping out patients who have the Ebola virus. continue...

Ojo said that at the moment about 30 of its chapter members have offered to be among the seven Ebola Emergency Response and Management Committee who are trying to figure out a way of preventing and controlling the spread of the virus.

He said: Strike or no strike, we must respond to emergencies. Our doctors are at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, were isolated contacts are being monitored. There are seven committees working on the management of the disease at the centre in Lagos, which our members are part of.

But the committee, where we are having challenges getting volunteers, is case management.These are the people that work directly with confirmed cases. Look at the protective measures that doctors in Liberia and Guinea wear. They are well protected, yet some of them still caught it.

Our doctors are worried about the danger it poses to their lives and they need to be reassured. We understand their fears and we are making moves to confirm the level of preparedness of the government for doctors.

He informed that the infected doctor, who is presently on admission at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, was responding to treatment.

We know that the infected doctor is stable, however, the matron is in a critical condition. But everybody, including the experts from the World Health Organisation, is doing all they can, he said.

Meanwhile, one of the committee members, Dr. Babajide Saheed, revealed that they have been working closely with the World Health Organization to stop the virus.

He said: Not all doctors can attend to an Ebola patient. In fact you must limit the number of health workers treating affected persons just to contain the risk. We will be escalating the situation if doctors rush to Mainland Hospital just to attend to patients.