The Senate yesterday urged the federal government to immortalise the late Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh who lost her life after contracting Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) from Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought the disease to Nigeria on July 20.

The upper chamber which also commends President Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal Ministry of Health, Lagos and Rivers State governments on their prompt effort to contain the disease, also advised the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) as well as the African Union (AU), to create the forum for containment of the disease in the entire African continent.

The Senate also implored the federal government to strengthen the health facilities in all entry points into Nigeria and as well urged Nigerians to co-operate with health officials and observe prescribed preventive measures with a view to reducing infection and spread of EVD. The Senate, which praised Adadevoh for sacrificing her life to ensure that others live, observed one minute in her honour and other health workers who lost their lives as a result of the import of the disease.

The resolutions followed a motion moved by Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, appealing to all and sundry to recognise the need to give the necessary support to the Federal Ministry of Health, National Centre for Disease Control on the control of the disease . He highlighted the need to effectively contain the disease and as well prevent its new entry.

Okowa also expressed concerns that the outbreak of EVD in Liberia has continued to be on the rise with hundreds of such cases in the last three weeks, noting that as long as the epidemic remains in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, Nigeria will continue to be at high risk.

Recalling that nine cases of Ebola have been successfully managed in the country, with 339 persons under surveillance in Lagos discharged after exiting 21 days of observation, and only 27 yet under surveillance in the state, Okowa noted that no fewer than 477 others who were both tertiary and quaternary contacts of Sawyer were under surveillance in Port Harcourt with only five discharged so far.

He decried rumours that the disease had spread to some states such as Kaduna, Kebbi, Oyo, Ebonyi, Delta and Sokoto States, describing it as unhealthy for its management.

In his remark, Senate President, David Mark, said the way Nigeria had so far handled Ebola, had shown that if Nigeria could collectively rise against any situation with sheer determination, the problem will be easily solved.

He said the good lesson learnt from the Ebola virus is the increased sense of hygiene it has created in Nigeria as he expressed appreciation to Adadevoh even in death for saving Nigeria from the spread of the epidemic.

He urged teachers to re-open schools but only ensure that precautionary measures are put in place to prevent both the outbreak and spread of the disease.

“ There are debates going on whether schools should resume or not resume, the private schools and government schools also should make sure that they take precautionary measures before we get all our children back to school. But I think that we have done enough but with a little more efforts, the schools should be allowed to resume and making sure that when they resume, we don’t let down our guards, it is not over yet, but I believe that we have done enough to avoid any further spread of the Ebola virus disease,” Mark said.