Nigeria’s index case of imported Ebola virus disease has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland for further medical care following significant improvement in her clinical condition, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has said.
Pate disclosed this in a post on X on Monday, confirming that the evacuation was carried out earlier in the morning with his approval.
According to the minister, the patient was stable, conscious and able to communicate before her departure, while her laboratory test results were approaching baseline levels.
“The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline,” he stated.
However, Pate cautioned that the patient’s improved condition did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious, stressing that strict public health protocols remained in force throughout the evacuation.
He added that the patient was accompanied by her spouse, who had remained asymptomatic.
The minister commended the clinical personnel who provided care for the patient, as well as the public health officials who coordinated the evacuation, noting their efforts to ensure that the process complied with established public health measures.
Pate said the government would provide further updates later on Monday after the patient and her spouse had arrived safely at their destination.
Reassuring Nigerians that efforts to contain the imported Ebola case were continuing, the minister urged the public to remain vigilant and obtain information from credible sources.
“All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus,” he said.
The evacuation marks a new development in Nigeria’s response to the imported Ebola case, as health authorities continue containment efforts and emphasise the importance of infection prevention and control measures.
The minister did not disclose further details about the treatment arrangements in Switzerland or the circumstances surrounding the patient’s evacuation.
