Ebola: FG Directs Hospitals to Prepare Isolation Beds, Warns 15 States

The Federal Government has directed hospitals across Nigeria to prepare isolation beds and strengthen infection prevention measures as it urges 15 states to speed up their Ebola response plans following the confirmation of an imported case in Abuja.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, gave the directive during a briefing on the government’s response to the outbreak, according to reports of his remarks on Thursday, October 22.

Pate said 21 states had updated their Ebola preparedness plans, while the remaining 15 needed to accelerate their preparations and establish the necessary response arrangements.

He said hospitals had been instructed to make adequate provisions for suspected cases and prepare health workers to manage them safely.

The minister also urged private hospitals to promptly report suspected cases to public health authorities, stressing that healthcare workers must follow infection prevention and control procedures.

The warning comes after the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare confirmed on October 20 that a woman receiving care in the Federal Capital Territory had tested positive for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.

The patient had recently travelled from Uganda. According to the ministry’s announcement, she developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria and sought treatment at a private health facility in Abuja before the diagnosis was confirmed.

At the time of the announcement, health authorities had identified 44 close contacts for monitoring. The NCDC activated its incident management system to coordinate the response, while measures were introduced to strengthen infection prevention at the hospital where the patient received care.

The government is working with state health authorities and international partners to trace contacts, improve surveillance and prepare healthcare facilities to manage any additional suspected cases.

Pate said the aim was to prevent the infection from spreading beyond the imported case. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant without giving in to panic or spreading unverified information.

The NCDC had warned in a public health advisory issued in May that Nigeria faced a risk of Ebola importation because of international travel, cross-border movement and the possibility that early symptoms could resemble those of other illnesses.

The agency asked state governments to strengthen surveillance, identify functional isolation facilities, protect frontline health workers and establish clear procedures for reporting and referring suspected cases.

The current preparedness drive also places responsibility on private healthcare providers, which may be the first point of contact for patients seeking treatment before a serious infection is identified.

The government has not publicly identified the 15 states whose response plans reportedly require further work. It has also not released a state-by-state assessment showing the specific gaps in their preparedness.

For now, health authorities are concentrating on contact tracing, surveillance and strengthening hospital readiness as they work to prevent further transmission.