Why FG Withheld Ebola Drug Approval—Chukwu BY AUSTIN OYIBODE(With Agency Reports) The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, yesterday said that the Federal government was withholding its approval for the Anti-Ebola drug Nano-Silver produced by a Nigerian scientist in the diaspora. Chukwu made this known when he received the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, in his office in Abuja. He said that the Nano Silver drug, which was made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos on August 14, did not meet basic research requirements. “The experimental drug, Nano Silver did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code. “Accordingly, the approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee,” Chukwu said. He said the ambassador’s visit was an opportunity to share ideas and information on Ebola virus. “He is the spokesperson for the United States’ government here in Nigeria, and so he came to me as the Chief Public Health Officer of the country to exchange views with me,’’ he said. He said he could not think of a more important example of cooperation than the Ebola cooperation. On the U.S experimental drug on Ebola, Entwistle said there were no sufficient quantity for now to be given to Nigeria, therefore, the focus should be on isolation, screening and prevention. Meanwhile the Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on Health Monitoring, Dr. Rukevwe Ugwumba, yesterday allayed the fears of Deltans over the disease, saying Ebola Virus cannot kill everybody, neither will the plague last a long time in the country. Dr. Ugwumba also said as part of efforts to prevent its entrance into the state, the state government has put machineries in place to ensure that no dead body enters the state from any part of the country or outside without presentation of certificate showing the cause of death. Ugwumba, who spoke alongside the State Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, in an event organized by the ministry to orientate State Public Relations Officers (PROs) on the virus, said irrespective of the pervasive nature of the virus, it has not gained entering into the state. She said in the midst of the enlightenment and the fact that it has not gained entrance into the state, no Deltan should take preventive measures as stipulated by health experts for granted, even as she bemoaned the fact that people are coming to Delta from different parts of the country without knowing who has the disease. Ugwumba explained that the disease is mostly serious with hunters and meat sellers as they have contact most times with animals which are the major carriers of the virus. She also said the fear of most people is unfounded as the persons currently having the virus are those who had primary contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought the disease to Nigeria. Dissuading Deltans from eating bitter cola and salt water, Ugwumba said these substances were dangerous and harmful to health. Although she said the virus was fragile and dies easily, she said its lifespan was yet to be determined by medical experts who are currently conducting research on the cure for the disease. Ogeah, who conveyed the meeting with the PROs, said the agenda was to brief the officers on ways of helping the generality of Deltans to know the preventive measures so as not to fall prey to the deadly disease and to stop the wrong information being peddled by uninformed persons in the country. Also Senate President, David Mark Sunday night held a crucial meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association over the on-going nationwide strike embarked upon by the resident doctors. Mark, during the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, pleaded with them to end the industrial action in the interest of the citizens. Mark, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, on Monday, reminded the striking doctors of their strategic roles in the life of citizens. He maintained that “they cannot continue to look the other way when Nigerians who depends on them for medical care faces Heath challenges.” The senate president noted that the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease, which is now a national emergency was enough reason for them to suspend the strike and rise up to the challenge of saving their country men and women. He assured them that government was not insensitive to their demands but that the situation at the moment called for patriotism on their parts in the interest of our people. Mark pledged to table their grievances personally before the President Goodluck Jonathan-led executive arm of government in order to find solutions to them. But the President of NMA, Dr. Kayode Obembe, who led members of executive to the meeting, demanded the immediate reversal of the federal government’s sack of residents doctors across the country. Obembe insisted that recall of the over 16,000 resident doctors suspended by the government remained the basis for the NMA’s further negotiation with the federal government. Obembe explained that doctors are not insensitive to the current heath challenges on account of the outbreak of EVD. He said, “We are demanding that government should do the needful to improve health care services in the country.” He listed their grievances to include, but not limited to, improved hazard allowance for medical and Health workers, the 10 months unpaid areas, as well as the appointment of Surgeon- General of the federation . The meeting was adjourned till Tuesday, when both parties would report progress on the way out of the logjam.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 06:05:25 +0000
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