Nurse Justina Ejelonu (pictured), one of the health workers at First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos has died from the deadly Ebola Disease
25-year-old Justina was one of the hospital staff who made efforts to nurse back Liberian Patrick Sawyer to health. While a female doctor in the hospital who equally had a primary contact with Mr. Sawyer is presently battling the disease, a nurse from the same stable passed on last Tuesday.
Justina died yesterday morning at the Ebola Ward of the Mainland Hospital, Yaba where she was kept in quarantined. Her death was confirmed by the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu at a joint press briefing with the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, in Abuja.
Chukwu further disclosed that Nigeria has now recorded 10 confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, of which four have died and six are currently under treatment.
“The total number of persons under surveillance in Lagos is now 169. These are all secondary contacts as all the primary contacts have completed the 21-day incubation period and have been de-listed to resume their normal lives,” the Minister explained.
Earlier, Justina had said that she did not have physical contact with Patrick Sawyer while he was on admission.
The news that she contracted the disease came as a shock to her. The reason according to her was that she didn’t touch him.
Giving a written account of the closest she came in contact with the 40-year-old Mr. Sawyer in Igboville, a facebook page, Justina, who was formerly working with Otunba Tunwase National Pediatric Centre Ijebu Ode in Ogun state before joining First Consultant early this year said:
“I never contacted his fluids. i checked his Vitals, helped him with his food.(he was too weak)…..i basically touched where his hands touched and dats d only contact .not directly wt his fluids.@a stage, he yanked off his infusion and we had blood everywhere on his bed…..but d ward maids took care of that and changed his linens with great precaution. every patient is treated as high risk …..if it were airborne,by now wahala for dey.i still thank God.
“Friends, up to our uniforms n all linens were burnt off. we r on surveillance n off work till 11th. Our samples v long bn taken by WHO n so far we v been fine. For me, kudos to my hospital managt cos we work proffessionally wt every patient considered risk cos thats d training. had it been its a hospital where they manage ordinar gloves lik Govt hospital n some janjaweed private hosp..:lol….wahala for dey o.i must also thank Lagos Govt….infact! Even fed govt sef….all been supportive.im good n so r the others in d hosp…..”
