Ebola: Rivers, FG Clash On School Resumption Date

The Rivers State government and the Federal Government have clashed over the September 22, schools resumption date as the state government insisted that schools may not yet resume.

According to Vanguard, the state commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, who made this known on Wednesday, explained that schools in the state may not resume because of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.

READ ALSO: Hold Jonathan Responsible If Ebola Spreads – APC

The commissioner also revealed that currently, there were about 340 persons under surveillance in the state. He said they want to be certain that the situation had been completely brought under control before schools would be allowed to resume.

In a related development, Nicholas Brunet, the Deputy Managing Director, Total E&P, Port Harcourt district, who donated an ambulance and two pickup trucks to the government on behalf of the oil company, described the outbreak of EVD in some West Africa countries as a big challenge to the world.

Meanwhile, Daily Independent had earlier reported that the commissioner for Health, Sampson Parker, said the state government, in collaboration with Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) on Ebola in the state, has earmarked a whooping sum of N1 billion to combat the dreaded Ebola virus disease in the state.

READ ALSO: EBOLA: My Survival Story – Dr. Ada Igonoh Recounts Ordeal

The EOC comprise state Ministry of Health and international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Meanwhile, Dan Nwomeh, the Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health in his tweets below confirmed that Ebola Virus has been brought under control in Nigeria.The deadly Ebola virus was brought into the country by the late American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer. It would be recalled that Federal Government had earlier announced that primary and secondary schools across the country should resume academic activities on 22 September, 2014. The disease has so far killed seven people across the country. The Nigerian Ministry of Health on September 2, 2014, announced the death of an elderly woman who contracted the deadly virus in Port Harcourt, while on admission in the same hospital wherelate Dr Enemoah died.

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I See No Reason Why Schools Should Remain Closed – Health Minister

Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu had yesterday revealed that there really is no reason school should remain closed after september. 

[caption id="attachment_1550" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Nigeria’s Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu addresses diplomatic envoys on the status of the Ebola disease control in Nigeria at the Foreign Affairs House in Abuja August 7, 2014. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde[/caption]

He was talking in a media briefing in Lagos and said: “It is for the commissioners of education to advise the principals, at least for public schools, as well as private schools on when they can reopen. “The ministry of health is like what the weather people are to the nation.

READ ALSO: The Untold Story Of Ebola Virus

“They will tell you that the weather will be sunny, stormy or there will be heavy downpour, but they can never directly, for example, stop any plane from flying.

“It is for the aviation people to take the advice and combine with other factors to decide whether flights will take off or not.

READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Economy Triumphs Over Ebola

He went on to reassure parent and the society that soon their loved one could go back to school and start their studies.

He said: “So, I want to make it clear that from the technical point of view, there is absolutely no reason why any school, except if they have other problems that are not medical, cannot reopen”.

READ ALSO: Ebola Survivor’s Blood Used To Treat Infected American

“So, when the minister of education, working with the commissioners of education, said they have revised the opening of schools from 13th Oct to 22nd of Sept., we have nothing against that.
“ If we did, we would have objected or let them know,’’ he said.

READ ALSO: South African Traveler Tested For Ebola In Lagos

Chukwu also stated that students resuming would be taught about EVD and how to avoid gettin ill.

He said: “It will even give us opportunity to teach the children what EVD is all about.
“ It is going to offer us opportunity to reinforce what we are already teaching their teachers because the teachers are going through programmes on how they should handle children who are sick.
“You notice that Nigeria has not closed any market, church, mosque and children follow their parents to these places.

READ ALSO: South African Traveler Tested For Ebola In Lagos

“So it doesn’t simply make any sense yet to continue shutting down the schools,’’ he said.

Chukwu said that people should not relax as EVD was being contained.
“Luckily, we are still winning. Schools have to reopen. But that doesn’t mean we should go to sleep.
“We know now that there is no place in Nigeria now that we are treating anyone for EVD, but we have not started celebrating yet for the simple reason that we have not yet won the war.
“We do not want surprises.
“No one for now has active EVD in Nigeria, but that is not to say that will be surprised if we have one tomorrow,’’ Chukwu said.

Health minister, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has been praised for his ministry’s hard work and effective control and contain of the deadly Ebola virus in the nation by several critics.

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Parents Release Photo of Daughter Born at 24-week-old Abortion Limit

A grieving mum has released this heartbreaking photograph of her premature daughter who was delivered at the 24-week abortion limit, saying ‘She’s not a foetus, she’s a fully-formed human being’

Born just 24 weeks (6 months) into her mother’s pregnancy tiny Adelaide was too small to survive. This treasured image of the tot reaching up as she let out a cry is the only picture her parents have of her alive.Born just 24 weeks (6 months) into her mother’s pregnancy tiny Adelaide was too small to survive. This treasured image of the tot reaching up as she let out a cry is the only picture her parents have of her alive.

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Advisor Emily Caines, 25 from Yeovil, Somerset and husband security guard Alastair Caines, 29,  released the photograph in a bid to open up the debate about abortion.

The current law allows babies to be terminated up to 24 weeks gestation, the same as Adelaide when she was born.

She said:

“Our picture shows Adelaide was not a feotus she was a fully formed human being and to think that a baby like her could be legally terminated  on grounds of a lifestyle choice is to me is horrifying. Medical grounds is a different matter. Our hospital was amazing and did all they could but Adelaide suffered complications which made it impossible for her to survive but many babies born at 24 weeks do live.

“That makes a mockery of the 24 week legal limit.”

Tragically Mrs Caines had already lost her first baby daughter Isabelle at 23 weeks after going into premature labour in September 2011. She died during delivery.

It was in the agonising weeks after her loss that she fell in love with close friend Alastair who helped her through her grief.

He later proposed and suggested that they marry on the first anniversary of Isabelle’s birth and death to help turn the saddest of days into a happy one.

Soon after marrying the couple began trying a baby together but after struggling to conceive doctors found scar tissue blocking Mrs Caine’s fallopian tubes

They were told their only chance was IVF and fell pregnant after their first round.

At 20 weeks they learned they were expecting a girl and were relieved to pass the 24 week stage, when medics are legally obliged to help save the life of a premature baby.

Mrs Caines said: “Only then did I buy her a baby grow and Alistair bought her a pink cuddly bunny.”
But just three days later she started to bleed and was rushed to Southmead Hospital in Bristol which has a specialist premature baby unit.

Mrs Caines was rushed into theatre for an emergency section on December 27 2013 and her husband was at her side when their tiny daughter was lifted out by medics and let out a cry.

That’s when a doctor took the only picture of their daughter alive at the birth on the couple’s

camera

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Mrs Caines said: “That cry filled us with so much hope. Her little fists were waving and I could see the doctors working on her.”

But after an hour they told the couple that it was proving impossible to get a line into their daughter’s lungs to help her breathe.

They agreed the kindest thing was to let her go.

Mrs Caines said: “Thinking of my daughters together was the only thing that got me through arranging another funeral.
“We were utterly heartbroken again.”

Five months later they started another round of IVF and Mrs Caines is now 20 weeks pregnant with what she calls her ‘rainbow baby.’
She hopes that following a stitch in her cervix the pregnancy will progress normally. Her son is due in January 2015.
She said: “The theory of the rainbow baby is that something beautiful will follow the devastation caused by the storm.I hope sharing our story gives hope to others and helps other parents who have suffered a loss.”

The couple are now keen to break down the taboos surrounding baby loss and neonatal death.

Culled from UK Mirror

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