By Destiny Obinna
The index patient in Nigeria’s imported Ebola virus disease case has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland after showing significant clinical improvement, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has announced.
Pate, in a post on X, said the evacuation was carried out earlier in the morning with his approval, adding that the patient’s spouse accompanied her and had remained asymptomatic.
The minister said the patient was stable, conscious and communicating, with her clinical laboratory test results moving towards baseline.
He, however, warned that the improvement did not necessarily mean the patient was no longer infectious.
“This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place,” he said.
Pate commended the clinical teams responsible for the patient’s care and public health personnel who ensured that the evacuation was conducted in line with appropriate public health measures.
He said further information would be provided later in the afternoon after the patient and her spouse had landed safely in Switzerland.
The minister also assured Nigerians that public health measures aimed at containing the imported virus remained in force.
He 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,” Pate stated.
The minister’s update underscores the importance of maintaining strict infection prevention and control measures even when a patient’s clinical condition improves.
