Suspected Ebola Patient Dies In Abuja

Panic has struck the Federal Capital Territory after a patient suspected of having Ebola died at the Asokoro Hospital.
The deceased is said to have exhibited symptoms of the disease before dying on Friday, August 28, 2014.
The Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital where the patient was being treated has been cordoned off and all staff who came in contact with the patient are being observed.
The FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat issued a statement regarding the incident saying that blood samples of the patient have been taken to a laboratory for testing.
The statement, signed by the secretariat’s Head of Public Relations, Badaru Yakassai, reads
“The Family Medicine unit of Asokoro District Hospital suspected Ebola disease in a patient on admission at the Accident and Emergency unit on the 28th of August 2014 and immediately isolated the patient. Strict infection control measures were immediately instituted.
 Blood sample was then taken to the designated FCT Ebola testing laboratory which happens to be within the hospital premises. The epidemiology unit of Public Health Department of the Health and Human Services Secretariat was notified and their response was immediate.
 The results of the Ebola test was being expected from the laboratory four days later, on Monday the 1st of September 2014.
Unfortunately, the patient died the next day, Friday 29th August 2014. The accident and emergency unit was temporarily relocated to the General Outpatient Unit (GOPD).
 A list of all medical staff who had come into contact with the patient has been compiled and they are all under surveillance”
The secretariat however urged residents of Abuja not to panic as the hospital was only taking precautionary measures to ensure that the disease did not spread.