The management of the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, has disclosed that it has experience in the management of the deadly Ebola virus.
This is coming on the heels of a request by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chuckwu, to the United States’ Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to send the experimental drug ‘Zmapp’ administered to the two American doctors who contacted the virus to Nigeria.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof Temitope Alonge, stated this in Lagos yesterday at a media parley facilitated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).
“We have been proactive as far back as 2012 by setting up VHF isolation precautions as well as standard precautions, which enabled us to manage Dengue fever and other outbreaks back then. It was later confirmed that no further transmission of the virus was documented, indicating that although Dengue is highly infectious, the use of these measures is effective in preventing the spread of disease and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola,” he said.
Alonge explained that Ebola virus belongs to a group of viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), which refer to a group of illnesses caused by several distinct families of viruses.
He said: “In general, the term ‘viral hemorrhagic fever’ is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem in that multiple organ systems in the body that is affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged and the body’s ability to regulate itself is impaired.
“These symptoms are often accompanied by haemorrhage (bleeding), diarrhoea among others, however, the bleeding is rarely life-threatening. While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many of these viruses cause severe and life-threatening disease.”
The CMD said his hospital had the human capacity and facility to detect and manage the Ebola virus because “it has experience in dealing with the virus in the past.”
He said the major challenge now facing his hospital was how to cremate bodies of Ebola virus deceased, should there be need in his hospital, but “we have contacted the India communities and other experts in that field, and they are ready to collaborate with us should the need arise.
“We have also printed out pamphlets in English, Yoruba and Hausa languages on what Ebola virus is, mode of its transmission and preventive measures. We have enough Personal Protective Garments (PPG) for the workforce, therefore UCH is ready and prepared for the virus. It will be irresponsible of anybody to say we do not have the capacity in terms of laboratory to diagnose Ebola virus.”
