The Chief Medical Director of the First Consultant Hospital where the
first case of Ebola was diagnosed in Nigeria, says as an organization,
they are struggling to float after reopening for business last month. In
an interview with Tribune
yesterday, Dr Benjamin Ohiaeri said himself, his staff and their
families still face firsthand stigmatization even after being certified
free of the Ebola virus
"Since re-opening, we have witnessed firsthand what it means to be
stigmatized. At a time when you would think we would be appreciated for
our professionalism in containing Ebola, we are enduring a significant
depletion in patient-turn up. We are down on numbers by a factor of
about 90%. But for the generosity of friends and family, Aledo
Peterside, Tunde Ayeni, Diamond Bank, etc., this business would have
collapsed. Even now, we are struggling to stay afloat. It has been very
tough indeed."
"The loss of Dr Adadevoh, Dr Abaniwo, Evelyn Uko and Ejelonu, four key
members of our team, the first two of who were the most senior of our
medics and members of the Hospital Executive Committee, has been hard.
They were colleagues, they were family. We are talking of a lifetime of
working as a close team - as confidantes, as family. So, yes it’s been
very tough. As well as our fallen heroes, we have many of the survivors
here. Medics, who placed their lives on the line to avoid Ebola
spreading to the general public; they suffered the trauma of threats to
their lives and the horror of rejection, in many cases, simply because
they once had Ebola.
The families of our people have suffered horrendous victimisation too.
Children of the dead hounded out of rented homes just when they needed
compassion; the husband of a sufferer thrown out of his job simply
because the employer learned of his wife’s condition. The pain, the
suffering, the horror goes on and on. Still, our people are back at
work, doing what they do best - caring for the ill. For the hospital, we
are inching back to life. As you know, the place was shut down for
nearly three months while it was decontaminated by the WHO. So, our
business was essentially shut in all that time, though our expenses,
salaries, among others, continued to run" he said.
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