Ebola: Private Hospitals Reject Patients With Fever Symptoms

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.
Source: NAN