Some
private hospitals in Lagos yesterday Tuesday August 12th rejected treating patients who
visited them with symptoms of fever as part of measures being taking
to prevent contracting the Ebola virus.
A visit by the News Agency of Nigeria to some hospitals in Lagos
Metropolis showed that nurses and other health workers, including
cleaners were seen wearing face mask and gloves while attending to
patients. Continue...
Also,
some of the health facilities were compelling patients to wash their
hands and apply sanitisers before proceeding into their building.
Some of the hospitals visited included Jaycee Hospital, Prime Hospital, Lifeline Children’s Hospital and Providence Hospital.
A Neurologist at Jaycee Hospital, Dr. Francis Ojini, told NAN that his hospital did not attend to patients who had with fever.
Ojini said that it became necessary as health workers were at greater risk of contracting the virus.
“Health
workers are the first to be in contact with patients who visited the
hospital and so it is necessary we take precautions.
“For
now, any illness that has to do with fever is not being attended to as
we are trying to be careful because of the new development of the Ebola
disease.
“If
there is need, we refer patients we feel we cannot treat. We hope we
are able to curtail the spread in order to save lives,” he said.
A
nurse at the same hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said that nurses
wore facemask and gloves when any patients visited the facility.
He said: “We are protecting ourselves from contracting a deadly disease that has no drug or vaccine at the moment.”
Allso
speaking, the Medical Director, Lifeline Children’s Hospital, Dr. Uche
Owowo, said that his hospital was making hand sanitisers available for
patients.
Owowo
urged the Federal Government and other civil organisations to intensify
awareness programmes to educate the masses about the disease.
“Many people still need to know more about the disease, how it can be contracted and how to prevent being infected.
“I believe educating people and making the facilities available and accessible will encourage people to be cautious,” he said.
Efforts
to speak with the medical directors and other health workers of Prime
Hospital and Providence Hospital proved abortive as they refused to
comment.
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