Two Test Negative To Ebola, Discharged In Rivers

The doctor and the pharmacist, who were taken to the Ebola Virus Disease quarantine centre at Oduoha in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been discharged after testing negative to the virus.

The duo and a woman, according to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, had come in contact with the late Dr. Iyke Enemuo, who died of the disease on August 22, 2014 after he secretly treated a Nigerian diplomat, who was infected with the virus disease.

The commissioner, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, also disclosed that Chinyere, the sister to the late Enemuo, who fled to Abia State for fear of being stigmatised, had returned to the state capital and taken to the Isolation Centre in Emohua for observation.

It will be recalled that the doctor and pharmacist, who worked with Sam Steel Hospital owned by the late Enemuo, were earlier quarantined at the isolation centre after developing feverish conditions.

An elderly woman, who was in the same ward with late Dr. Iyke Enemuo at the Good Heart Hospital, was said to have tested positive to Ebola virus.

He said, “I told you yesterday that we have three patients, and out of the three patients, the result came out; two of them were negative, one was positive. The two negative ones have now left the centre.

“We have discharged them from the centre, but we will repeat the tests because they are still within the 21 days circle of the virus. We pray that they remain negative.

“The one who is positive is an elderly woman that was in the same hospital with late Dr. Iyke Enemuo. In fact, they were in the same room and she is there (at the quarantine centre) no”.

Dr. Parker revealed that Enemuo’s remains and other corpses that were in the same morgue at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, including corpses that were received after Enemuo’s body was deposited, would be buried this week in Port Harcourt.

The commissioner noted that all high risk corpses would be buried according to the World Health Organisation procedure.

“The country director of WHO is with us in the meeting with the director of the National Centre for Disease Control. We have decided that within this week, Dr. Iyke Enemuo and other high risk corpses in the UPTH mortuary would be buried, according to WHO protocols”, he assured.