Following the death of the Consultant Physician and
Endocrinologist, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, her family members have said that they
have been left devastated.
Adadevoh was the lead doctor who attended to the late
Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, that brought the Ebola Virus Disease to
Nigeria.
She died on Tuesday night, making her the fifth recorded
fatality of the highly contagious disease in Nigeria.
One of the deceased’s cousin, Biase, who had led an online
campaign urging the United States government and the Western world to release
the experimental Zmapp drug to save Adadevoh’s life took to Twitter to mourn
her death.
In a petition launched on change.org, which gathered over
3,000 signatures, Biase had begged the American government “to help save her
life”
But she said on Wednesday that she was heartbroken, adding
that she “doesn’t know how to feel now.”
Writing on her Twitter page, she added, “This is sad. I
can’t believe she died. Thank you to everyone that signed and shared the
petition. You guys were awesome. She’s at peace now. Not waiting for America to
send her drugs.”
Kwami, another relative of the late consultant physician
with the First Consultants Medical Centre, Lagos, stated that Adadevoh was her
“darling cousin.”
Noting that the deceased taught him and his younger ones
that hard work pays, Kwami explained that her passing was not only sad but was
also a great loss to the entire Adadevoh family.
He stated that their family had received condolence messages
from the Nigerian authorities, through the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babtunde
Fashola.
He tweeted, “I would like to thank you all for your prayers.
Sadly, my darling cousin has been called home. She has finished her course and
now rests with God. She was my eldest cousin.
“The one who showed us all that it is possible to be chic
and hardworking. She was the best student everywhere. We have received
condolence messages from Lagos State Governor Babtunde Fashola and the
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris.”
Another relative of the deceased, Wale Kwame, stated that
“only God knows” why Ameyo was not part of the survivors of the EVD.
“Just lost an aunt to Ebola: Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh. Only God
knows best! It really was a funny topic until the whole thing got real,” Kwame
wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in for Adadevoh
from prominent Nigerians and her medical doctor colleagues.
In the several tributes and eulogies posted online, many
Nigerians hailed her as a “heroine” and asked the Federal Government to immortalise
her.
Many described her as a “godly doctor” who stood firm to
contain the Ebola virus, putting herself in harm’s way to save millions of
Nigerians from the disease.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said he was “deeply
saddened” by her death. “Her dedication ensured the Ebola virus didn’t become
an epidemic,” Atiku wrote in a Twitter post.
Lawmaker representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District
in the National Assembly, Dr. Bukola Saraki, stated that he was “grateful” to
the late physician for detecting the virus from outset.
“The Death of Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh of First Consultants that
diagnosed Patrick Sawyer of Ebola and stopped him from leaving is a sad and
painful one. As a Nigerian, medical doctor and Senator of Federal Republic of
Nigeria, I am grateful to the late Dr. Adadevoh for holding fort against the
spread of Ebola in our country,” Saraki tweeted.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Dino
Melaye, while commiserating with the deceased’s family, asked them to take
solace in her demonstration of patriotism.
“What a patriot, committed medical practitioner and doctor
of humanity. You gave your life to save the lives of millions. Good night, our
doctor. Good night, the true heroine,” Melaye said on Twitter.
A medical practitioner, Dr. Chijioke Kaduru, argued that Dr.
Adadevoh died because she served humanity. Urging God to remember her
invaluable passion for humanity, Kadru stated that Nigerians must not forget
her selflessness in a hurry.
“She was indeed one of the humanitarian heroes lost to
Ebola. We must not forget that. We will never stop being grateful to you and
all the other health workers who die, serving. She was welcomed into the bosom
of the Lord on World Humanitarian Day. Rest well and may God comfort your
clan,” Kaduru added.
Meanwhile, another physician, Dr. Ore Falomo has described
Adadevoh’s death as painful.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents,
Falomo declined speaking at length about the departed doctor.
“I knew her. Colleagues abroad have been calling but this is
too painful for words,’’ he said.
‘Give her post-humous award’
Meanwhile, a fresh petition has been hosted on change.org,
asking the Federal Government to give a post-humous award in memory of the late
doctor.
The petition entitled, “Honour the memory of Dr. Ameyo
Stella Adadevoh with a National Posthumous Award,” was addressed to the
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and the World Health Organisation
Country Representative, Dr Rui Vaz.
The petitioners wrote, “If we don’t celebrate people like
this who sacrifice their lives to save others, then please tell me why any of
us should do the same. Give honour to whom honour is due.”
Government should have given her Nano silver —Cousin
Another relative of the late senior doctor, who spoke to our
correspondent in Lagos on Wednesday at the First Consultants Hospital in
Obalende, however, blamed the Federal Government for her death.
The cousin who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that
the Federal Government had mismanaged her case by not giving her any of the
experimental drugs that were available for the management the disease.
He expressed anger that Adadevoh would have survived the
disease if the experimental drugs available, including Nano silver, were
administered on her.
According to him, he is one of the secondary contacts that
are being monitored as he had had contact with the deceased the week Sawyer was
admitted at the private facility.
He said, “We had been shouting that she was in a critical
condition since. The Federal Government did not listen to us. We were expecting
them to have used the Nano silver or any of the other drugs they had to manage
her, yet they did not use them.
“If the World Health Organisation could have approved that
other experimental drugs be used due to the magnitude of the problem, why
should the Federal Government hold back? If they had used all they had at their
disposal to treat her, she would have survived.”
Another colleague of hers, who is also a consultant at the
hospital, described the deceased as a diligent and thorough professional.
The doctor, who also craved anonymity, said, “She was very
particular about the standard of medical services in the country. She was never
ready to compromise the management of a patient. I’m not surprised that she did
not discharge Sawyer, and that she alerted the state health authorities. Not
many doctors would have done that.”
A former student of the late Adadevoh, Dr. Dan Onwujekwe,
has also expressed sadness at the passing of his former teacher.
Onwujekwe, a research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of
Medical Research, described Adadevoh as an amiable and hardworking Nigerian who
would be sorely missed.
“She was my teacher at the College of Medicine, Idi-Araba,
Lagos. I had also collaborated with her at the NIMR. She has paid a major
sacrifice and she would be missed by all who ever came in contact with her.
Without her surveillance, maybe Ebola would have decimated Lagos. To even
identify a case is kudos to her. She was vigilant enough but, unfortunately,
she paid the supreme price. We owe our safety in Nigeria to her,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Hospital Board of First Consultant
Hospital, Obalende, Dr. Wale Balogun, described her death as unfortunate.
“It is unfortunate that we lost her. As an individual, I
feel very unhappy about it. I have never met her but from what I have heard and
read in the newspapers it is very unfortunate that we should lose such a senior
consultant with such an experience,” he stated.
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