Port Harcourt Ebola doctor’s hospital still open for patients

Samstel Clinic and Maternity, owned by the first victim of Ebola virus in Riv­ers State, Dr Sam En­emuo, is still open for patients, Saturday Sun checks revealed yes­terday.

The Sun Reports that two nurses working in the hospital have been placed under close watch, while doctors have confirmed that the late doctor’s thee month old baby and only child is free from the virus.

When the reporter vis­ited the hospital, located near the ever-busy Rumuo­koro Roundabout yester­day, some patients were seen at the reception of the hospital, waiting to be at­tended to by doctors who were nowhere to be seen. Investigation showed that some of the patients were yet to know about the Ebola virus incident at the hospital.

Others were already aware but decided to come to the hospital, since there are other doctors to attend to them.

Some nurses working in the hospital that unusually were in mufti mixed with patients. The nurses were seen trying to convince the patients to stay until they were attended to by the doctors.

Further probe revealed that doctors working in the hospital and some nurses were in a close-door meeting with a team of medical doctors who came from Lagos.

A source told the report­er that the medical team from Lagos, brought some medical equipment, which they were using to test the staff. They were also said to be counseling the staff on the dreaded Ebola vi­rus.

A nurse, who spoke to the reporter on the condi­tion of anonymity con­firmed that patients were still visiting the hospital, contrary to the information making the rounds that it had been shut by the gov­ernment. He said Dr Ene­muo did not visit the hospi­tal throughout the time he was treating the diplomat.

“We became worried, we were calling him on phone, asking him what went wrong. He told us he was sick and the next thing we heard was that he was dead,” she said.

Meanwhile, the iden­tity of the envoy, who was treated by Dr Enemuo has been revealed. His is, Mr. Oluibukun Koya. He was said to be one of the dip­lomats, who received the Liberian-American, Pat­rick Sawyer.

Soya was said to have sneaked out of Lagos to Port Harcourt, with the help of a lady simply identified as Lillian for treatment. The River State government was said to have been alerted about the escape of Koya, to Port Harcourt. But when the patient’s phone number, given by the informant was called severally by the Riv­ers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, the handset was switched off.

It was gathered that Dr Enemuo was aware that his patient was an Ebola virus victim.

According to the com­missioner, few days af­ter treating Koya, Dr Enemuo fell sick and was rushed to GreenHeart Hospitals, along Evo Road, GRA, Port Har­court, where he was re­ceiving treatment before he died. The doctor at Green­Heart Hospital disclosed that he was deceived by his late colleague, as he did not tell him that he had contact with Ebola virus patient. It was af­ter the news of the death of Enemuo was broken that Koya opened up, and confessed that it was the late doctor who treated him.

Meanwhile, Dr Parker has warned that there is no drug or vaccine for Ebola virus, and advised mem­bers of the public to be conscious of their health.