FG Urged To Be Proactive Against Fresh Spread Of Ebola Virus

The Guild of Medical Directors on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to be proactive and take adequate measures to prevent a fresh spread of Ebola virus to Nigeria.


National President of the Guild, Dr Tony Phillips, made the call in Abuja.

Members of the Guild of Medical Directors consist of owners of private hospitals in Nigeria.

Ebola outbreak had been reported in Democratic Republic of Congo, and two out of 17 suspected cases had been confirmed to be infected with the virus.

Philips advised the government to ensure that movement of people into the country through land borders, seaports and airports were check and passengers properly screened.

He said that the measure would help to check the “importation’’ of the virus into the country.

“If possible, the Federal Government can put an embargo on passengers coming from Congo until the situation is controlled,’’ he said.

The guild’s president recalled that when Ebola virus was reported in Nigeria in 2014, most public health facilities were on strike.

He, therefore, urged the government to ensure that all public health facilities across the country were functional.

According to him, government should ensure that all protective kits for those that will carry out the screening are ready, and if possible, the quarantine centres too.

Philips said that government should not wait until a case was reported in the country before taking proactive measures to combat it.