Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, presented a sum of N76 million to First Consultants Hospital, survivors as well relatives of people killed by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
First Consultants, the hospital where the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who imported Ebola virus to Nigeria was treated, received N50 million. The governor also gave N2 million each to 13 people, which include survivors and relatives of people who were claimed by the deadly virus.
The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, to present the cheques, announced that the amounts that Lagos government gave to the beneficiaries was a token, when compared to their sacrifices in saving Nigeria from deeper disaster that was looming, occasioned by the Ebola outbreak.He stressed that no amount of money was enough to compensate the hospital, survivors and especially, the victims that could not make it to share in Nigeria’s testimony as Ebola free country.
According to him, Lagos gave larger portion of the N76 million to First Consultant, explaining that the hospital bore the brunt of the Ebola saga, and consequently, has not been able to recover from it. He pointed out that the amount would help to get the hospital back to business.
The Governor pleaded with Nigerians to stop stigmatising the survivors, rather, to always support and celebrate them as heroes, calling on other donors to contribute their own quota in honouring those courageous Nigerians.
“Though we overcame the disease, some of the survivors are still being stigmatised probably the people don’t understand what the disease is all about. We need to show that these survivors, including those that died were heroes and heroines of this containment activity. We must not stigmatise these people but to celebrate and support them. The efforts put in by all to contain Ebola in Nigeria had been acknowledged worldwide. So, what we are doing today is a gesture of our support by government to show that we care and appreciate what they did, and we will not forget them,” he said.
Source: Newswatch Times
First Consultants, the hospital where the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who imported Ebola virus to Nigeria was treated, received N50 million. The governor also gave N2 million each to 13 people, which include survivors and relatives of people who were claimed by the deadly virus.
The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, to present the cheques, announced that the amounts that Lagos government gave to the beneficiaries was a token, when compared to their sacrifices in saving Nigeria from deeper disaster that was looming, occasioned by the Ebola outbreak.He stressed that no amount of money was enough to compensate the hospital, survivors and especially, the victims that could not make it to share in Nigeria’s testimony as Ebola free country.
According to him, Lagos gave larger portion of the N76 million to First Consultant, explaining that the hospital bore the brunt of the Ebola saga, and consequently, has not been able to recover from it. He pointed out that the amount would help to get the hospital back to business.
The Governor pleaded with Nigerians to stop stigmatising the survivors, rather, to always support and celebrate them as heroes, calling on other donors to contribute their own quota in honouring those courageous Nigerians.
“Though we overcame the disease, some of the survivors are still being stigmatised probably the people don’t understand what the disease is all about. We need to show that these survivors, including those that died were heroes and heroines of this containment activity. We must not stigmatise these people but to celebrate and support them. The efforts put in by all to contain Ebola in Nigeria had been acknowledged worldwide. So, what we are doing today is a gesture of our support by government to show that we care and appreciate what they did, and we will not forget them,” he said.
Source: Newswatch Times
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