Rivers doctor dies of Ebola
- Written by Kelvin Ebiri
The reported death of Mr. Enemuo due to Ebola virus has triggered panic Thursday at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) where his corpse is said to be in the morgue.
As part of precautionary measure to curb the spread of the dreaded diseases, the Rivers state government said it has placed no fewer than 100 persons under surveillance.The has however refused to reveal location of the isolation centers and the hotel where the man who brought the virus to the state stayed.
Though there has been speculation in the past two week that an Ebola patient flew into Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Sampson Parker, yesterday acknowledged the death of Enemuo from Ebola virus disease. The late doctor is said to be the owner of a private hospital at Rumuokoro in Port Harcourt.
"The Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has directed me to make this solemn announcement to you. And it is with a heavy heart that I announce to you that the ebola virus has claimed its first victim in Rivers State. Dr. Iyke Sam Enemuo died last week Friday, August 22, 2014 as a result of what was suspected to be ebola virus disease," he said.
Parker told journalists at his residence in Port Harcourt that the Rivers State Ministry of Health on becoming aware of the conditions of Enemuo's death, immediately commenced investigations and contact tracing. According to him, about one hundred contacts from a hotel, patients of Enemuo and patients of the hospital where the late Enemuo was treated until his demise have been identified and restricted in Rivers State and that locations are being decontaminated. http://ngrguardiannews.com/news/national-news/176829-rivers-doctor-dies-of-ebola