Late doctor knew diplomat had Ebola virus –Rivers

The Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samson
Parker, says the late Dr. Samuel Enemou, who treated Olu
Koye, a Nigerian diplomat with the Economic Community of
West African States, was aware that the diplomat was a
carrier of the deadly Ebola virus.
The commissioner stated this during a press conference in
Port Harcourt on Friday evening.
Parker said, “He had received the late Dr. Patrick Sawyer in
Lagos. Upon developing the symptom, confided in a female
colleague, called Lilian, who contacted the late Enemuo. It
was after contact was established with Dr. Enemuo that Olu
Koye flew to Port Harcourt to see him.
“To conceal his movement, Koye, who had been quarantined
among other people for having primary contact with the late
Dr. Sawyer, the Liberian-American who transmuted the
Ebola virus into Nigeria, sneaked out of the isolation unit
where he was being observed and took a flight to Port
Harcourt and switched off his phone so that he could not be
reached or traced should he answer a call.”
On arrival in Port Harcourt, he said Koye checked into
Mandate Gardens, a local hotel in the Rumunokoro area in
Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The hotel is within the Rumunokoro area where Dr.
Enemuo’s private health facility, Sam Steel Clinic is located.
Parker added, “From what we have gathered so far, Dr.
Enemuo, knowing that Koye was positive of the Ebola virus
took some measures of precaution to protect himself while
treating Koye.
“Knowing the enormity of what he was doing, Enemuo upon
Koye’s departure for Lagos, poured bleach all over the room
that Koye slept in order to sanitise the place.”
He said the deceased, after having developed the symptom,
approached a colleague for treatment at Good Heart
Hospital along Evo Road in G.R.A.
He said Enemuo did not tell the doctor that was treating him
the truth, stressing that he merely told him that he had
fever.
Parker said, “He lied. He did not tell the doctor that was
treating him his full story. But the doctor, a nice and
conscientious professional, suspected that Enemuo was
either hiding something or was suffering from a strange
ailment because he proved negative to malaria, fever and
typhoid fever.
“To be sure of what he was doing, he spoke to other very
experienced doctors about the strange case he was handling
in his hospital.”
The commissioner said the doctor treating Enemuo even
invited some his colleagues to come over to his hospital to
study Enemuo’s medical history.
He said because the news of the Ebola virus was all
everywhere, those he called were afraid to honour the
invitation.
Parker added that none of them showed up at the hospital
where Enemuo was being treated, stressing that Enemuo’s
condition continued to deteriorate until he died after which
body was taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital.
The commissioner also declared that the advent of the
dreaded Ebola virus in the state was currently posing a
challenge, saying the development was tantamount to a war
time situation.
He said the Rivers State governor, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi, had pledged to provide funds to enable the state
to procure all relevant materials as well as the services of
medical experts from Nigeria and abroad to contain the
virus.
Parker also said 60 more people who had secondary
contacts with Koye were quarantined last night, bringing the
total so far to 100.