Chairman of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Akinbola Idowu, has called on the federal and state governments to protect the interest of health workers, especially laboratory scientists, in their efforts to end the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

During a workshop on Ebola, held in Ibadan, for health laboratory workers and other categories of health workers considered to be vulnerable to the disease because of the hazard involved in treating infected persons and handling test samples, Idowu called on the participants to be on the alert and to take necessary precaution against possible infection.

He said, “It is highly important to appreciate the timing of this programme because of the collective fight against EVD in our country. The aim is to sensitise and educate the medical laboratory scientist, technicians, assistance and attendance to ensure that they have an understanding of the need to protect themselves against the deadly virus. We must thank the prompt response of the Lagos State Government, Federal Government and other states in containing the virus.

“But we must beware. Ebola is yet to be completely eradicated because there are people being monitored in different parts of the country. We must continue to educate ourselves and implore government to protect health workers and members of the association by providing quality equipment for them. They are at risk of contracting the disease because of its high contagious level.

“When there is a case of infection, the virus is found in the blood and the symptoms that will be manifested by the victim will look like that of malaria fever. Of course, the blood, stool, urine of the patient that will be sent to the laboratory are infectious because they contain the virus. That is why we need to sensitise our people to know that whatever sample is sent to them should be handled with care to prevent the spread of the disease.”

Idowu said that though there was no reported case of EVD in Oyo State and the government had already put in place some measures to check its spread, a lot more needed to be done to ensure that the state continued to remain free of the disease.

Guest speaker at the forum, Mrs. Oluwapomile Ishola, who is an Assistant Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, urged the three tiers of government to provide adequate Ebola kits to health workers in the country.

“The government has many roles to play, in terms of funding. The health care workers need protective kits and this can’t be possible without its assistance. There is need for more laboratory clothes and materials to protect lab scientists because they have direct contact with samples from infected persons,” she said