The Lagos State Government has declared its resolve not to use any drug other than the American ZMAPP for the Ebola patients in its custody.
The Commissioner of Health, Dr Jide idris, told The Nation that Nano Silver, being suggested by the Federal Government by a Nigerian scientist is a natural health product and “the state is not ready to take chances with the health of the patients at all”.
“Should we have access to ZMAPP now, right away, we will start the administration on the patients.
“We are attending a meeting soon with the Task Force on Ebola to know if the ZMAPP drug is available as stated by the Federal government”, Idris said.
Although Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said Zmapp was expected to arrive Nigeria on Thursday, it is still unclear if government had taken delivery.
It was gathered that the only thing that the country had received were personal protective equipment and some personnel who are in the country to train Nigerian health workers.
Idris, however, disclosed on Friday that First Consultant Hospital, where the first case of EVD occurred would be reopened soon.
This, he said, followed the mandatory three rounds of state certified decontamination process.
The commissioner said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Clinic, was shut after the detection of a confirmed case of the disease at the facility.
He said the state would facilitate the decontamination process of the clinic, adding that “25 patients and health workers at the facility when the case was detected are presently under surveillance”.
Comments