Ebola: Kuje Community, FCT Minister at war
There is no doubt that the importation of Ebola Virus Disease into the country by Liberian-American, Mr Patrick Sawyer has resulted spawned rumours and fears among Nigerians.
This is especially the case at the Kuje Area Council of Abuja where the Community, led by the Chairman, Ishaku Shaban Tete is presently battling Bala Mohammed, the minister of Federal Capital Territory over the designation of the general hospital in the area as treatment centre for potential Ebola victims.
This is in spite of the fact that there is no confirmed case of the virus infection in Abuja.
PM NEWS learnt that a structure that will house the Ebola victims is already being constructed by the federal ministry of Health in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) inside Kuje General Hospital.
But the largely rural community which is about 40 kilometres from the Abuja city centre has been protesting the citing of the Ebola treatment centre in the hospital since the intention of the FCT administration was made public about two weeks ago.
An online medium, Greenbarge reporters said that this came to the fore at a sensitisation session held to enlighten the community about Ebola disease attended by Bala Mohammed, the minister of FCT yesterday.
The chairman had at the session expressed anxiety of the community over the citing of the Ebola ward at the Kuje hospital.
To justify the apprehension of the community about the Ebola ward, he had pointed out to the minister that the general hospital is located in a high density area, adding that, the health facility is also patronised by loads of people made up of pregnant women and children among others.
“Bringing Ebola centre to such crowded hospital will amount to mass murder because if it catches one person, be rest assured that it will spread rapidly to all the residents,” said Tete who instead advised that the Ebola centre should be relocated to
Tete then appealed that the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Zuba which is currently being under utilised and is located in an isolated area should be used.
But the Minister did not find what he considered to be the open confrontation from the Chairman funny.
The minister pointedly told Tete that he will hold him responsible if the Ebola centre at the hospital is not successful.
“I will hold you responsible for the success of the project. And I warn you that nothing should happen to stop it!,” said Bala.
It was however gathered that the youths in the area have vowed to resist the citing of the Centre at the Kuje General Hospital.
Abdullahi Mohammed a youth leader in the area council said the community and youths in the area will mobilise and resist the siting of the centre in Kuje.
“We are ready to lay down our lives for the welfare and health of the people of Kuje, instead of allowing such thing happen with our eyes wide opened,” the youth leader was quoted as saying.
Tete, the chairman has also vowed that he will resist the siting of the Ebola centre in Kuje even at the cost of his position as chairman.
But PM NEWS gathered that the FCT administration is continuing with the plans for the centre as a special training has been arranged today for the nurses of the hospital on how to handle Ebola cases and patients.