Council boss opposes Ebola hospital

Chairman, Kuje Area Council, Shaban Tete, on Monday objected to the choice of the Kuje General Hospital as the treatment centre for Ebola, arguing that the decision has triggered tension in the area.

Tete suggested to the government to consider setting up of a specialist centre for the management of the viral disease.

The council chairman, who raised the objection during a stakeholders meeting on Ebola management, in Abuja, convened by the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, said he was not comfortable with the choice of the hospital for the treatment of Ebola.

“We in Kuje are in trouble. This issue is a deadly virus,” he said.

Obviously irked by his comments, the minister told the council boss not to rebel against a decision taken in the best interest of the FCT.

Mohammed said, “You see chairman of Kuje, I am not going to scold you for intransigence but I will tell you that you are operating from a point of ignorance. We cannot seat down here with experts from all over the world to import a disease to Kuje.

“The Kuje Centre is designated after taking into consideration so many factors. It will not expose the resident of Kuje to anything.

“The national hospital was built by the FCT but it was taken over by the Federal Government. The only Hospital which is a teaching hospital was taking over by the Federal government.

“I don’t want you to preach rebellion. I don’t want you to work on ignorance. Tell your people that as a leader, I am also responsible. You are not going to be exposed to danger and that hospital belongs to the FCTA not yours, not to the Local government.

“We are taking it as a referral point as a centre that is isolated and of course the WHO will make sure that the place has the best in terms of global practice. To make sure that seriously the Ward is isolated, I brought the Executive Secretary of the FCDA here and told the secretary that even if it means building a fence or a new place within the hospital we will do it.

“Sometimes in case of emergency, they built tent as we see in Liberia. Here we have a ward that we said we are going to designate. It is going to be away from area of diagnosis and other patients.

“Please educate your people do not work on ignorance. Be rest assured that it is not importation of disease to Kuje.”