UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour - Ebola Hero

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

Ebola Update

This week for the first time in months Ebola has not been top of the health news feed on the BBC.  And as Nigeria heaves a collective sigh of relief after being declared free of Ebola, the BBc have reported that one woman is being widely praised for helping to ensure a more devastating outbreak was avoided.

Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh raised a red flag when attending to a Liberian patient at the First Consultant Hospital in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, in July.

Patrick Sawyer had just flown into the country, already sick - he should never have been allowed on the plane. Nigeria had never had an Ebola case before so it was an impressive piece of diagnostic work by the doctor.

Whilst caring for Mr Sawyer and protecting the nation from the virus, Dr Adadevoh and her colleagues were themselves at great risk.

"From the day the index patient arrived in Nigeria, my father and I were constantly asking my mother and making sure she was OK. We were aware of what could come," says Bankole Cardoso, Dr Adadevoh's only son.

Patrick Sawyer became the first person to die of Ebola in Nigeria but now many

Nigerians are mourning the death of the doctor who treated him.  

"She was fine all along and then suddenly it became apparent. We were seeing little signs and so of course there was panic and confusion," says the 26-year-old.

These were the early days of the Ebola outbreak and Nigeria was not ready. Dr Adadevoh had already gone to inspect Lagos's rudimentary Ebola treatment centre, and had described it as "uninhabitable", Mr Cardoso says.

"We lost some of our best staff a doctor from the hospital said. Dr Adadevoh had been working with us for 21 years and was perhaps one of the most brilliant physicians. I worked with her. I know that she was sheer genius," In the Nigerian media, Dr Adadevoh was praised as a heroine but her grieving son, at first found it hard to read the articles which he has now proudly collated in a folder.

Mr Cardoso says the outpouring of praise for his mother fills him with immense pride and has softened the blow.

"I wonder how one individual has so much connection with so many people. So, it's like we shared her with everybody which is special."

But Dr Adadevoh's only child knows his country may not be out of the woods despite being declared Ebola-free.

"People were very paranoid and in the last few weeks it has calmed down. I just hope with this news they don't let their guard down," he says.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update on the Hour

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