It has not been all bleak news about the Ebola virus pandemic. In Nigeria, the week is closing with something to cheer as Nigeria’s  Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Saturday announced that the first Nigerian confirmed to have contracted the Ebola virus has been discharged after full recovery.

Chukwu, who briefed newsmen in Lagos, said the patient was discharged “after conclusive discharge protocols’’, adding that she could go home to resume her normal life.

Five other Ebola patients have almost fully recovered, he said.

Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu: Nigeria’s health minister: good news about Ebola

A female doctor not identified by the minister,  had attended to the Liberian, Mr Patrick Sawyer, who brought the disease to Nigeria.

Chukwu said that Nigeria had recorded  12 confirmed cases, four deaths and 189 persons under surveillance in Lagos, and six persons under surveillance in Enugu.

He said that all the persons under surveillance were secondary contacts.

“All the patients under treatment have now moved to the new 40-bed capacity isolated ward provided by the Lagos State Government. Additional equipment has also been made available to the new isolating ward by the Federal Government’’, he said.

The minister also said that the Nanosilver drug which was made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos on  14 August , did not meet basic research requirements.

“The experimental drug, Nanosilver, did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code.

“Accordingly, approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee. Other candidate drugs are being evaluated by the Treatment Research Group of Ebola Disease.

“As soon as any of the experimental drugs is cleared by the National Health Research Ethics Committee and is made available, we shall include it in the treatment regimen subject to the informed consent of the patient.’’

Chukwu denied the rumour of Ebola virus in Imo, Abia and Cross River States, adding that the case of the disease in Kwara was still under investigation.

“The experimental drug, Nanosilver, did not meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code. Accordingly, approval was withheld by the National Health Research Ethics Committee. Other candidate drugs are being evaluated by the Treatment Research Group of Ebola Disease.”—Onyebuchi Chukwu

 “The mother of the child in Kwara tested negative and we are still investigating the child. Also, the corpse in Anambra was embalmed and we are awaiting result of the test.

“All the mortuary attendants who had contact with the corpse tested negative, so there is no need to panic’’, he said.

On suspension of resident doctors’ training by the Federal Government, Chukwu said  there had been problems with the training which also informed the ongoing doctors’ strike.

According to Chukwu, the suspension is with all federal government hospitals, adding that states’ teaching hospitals were not affected.

 “The government suspended the training to allow for critical investigation and come up with better ways to improve the training.’’

Chukwu also said the paper work for insurance package for volunteers was ongoing, adding that Lagos State Government had commenced implementation of insurance package for health workers.