Ebola: US to quarantine Nigerian medical personnel

The United States-based Nigerian health
professionals, comprising medical doctors, nurses
and pharmacists on medical mission in Abia
State, said they would be quarantined for 21
days for Ebola virus when they return to the US.
The leader of the 75-man team and the
National President of Abia State National
Association of North America, Dr. Christian Ike,
disclosed this at a press conference in Umuahia
after the team’s one-week free medical services
in Abia State.
He decried the stigmatisation of Ebola-infested
countries by the West, wondering why visitors to
Nigeria would still be isolated even when the
country had been certified “Ebola-free.”
Ike said members of the team who are Abia
indigenes and health experts made a lot of
sacrifices to sponsor the medical mission. He said
that their passion for the people was their
driving force.
He said the gesture was part of their
contributions towards the development of the
state and to complement the efforts of the state
government in the health sector.
Ike said the team had committed over $420,000
to drugs alone, besides transport fare,
accommodation and other logistics. He added
that all members of the team, comprising 24
doctors, 21 pharmacists and 30 nurses, were all
volunteers.
he said, “Our joy is that we are privileged to be
at the giving end, and we want our people to
have access to quality medical care.”
Ike said over 6,200 patients diagnosed with
various ailments received treatments during the
exercise while 74 surgeries were conducted.
According to him, malaria, diabetes, high blood
pressure and eye-related problems were
discovered to be the commonest of the cases
they handled.
He decried the high rate of killer diseases,
especially diabetes and high blood pressure
which he said were discovered to be common
even among youths. He called for improved diets
and regular medical check-ups as remedies.
“People should reduce their intake of starch and
eat more of fruits,” he advised.
Ike said that the team also disclosed to the
patients the names of drugs prescribed for them
and gave them instructions on local hospitals to
go for follow-up treatments.
The Atlanta, Georgia-based practitioner said the
association had initiated talks with the state
government for some health facilities in the state
to be taken over and run by medical experts of
Abia origin based overseas so that the people
could be offered the kind of medical services
equivalent to what was obtainable abroad.
He lauded the efforts of the government in the
health sector but called for more expansion and
improvement on the available facilities and
access roads to hospitals.
The team, which grouped itself into three for
wider coverage, conducted services in well-
publicised and strategic hospitals and public
institutions in all the three senatorial districts in
the state. It also extended the gesture to the
state’s police command.