Ebola: Ekwueme, Adefarasin, others extol late Adadevoh

Nigerians on Friday described the late Dr Stella Adadevoh as a hero, model, a pacesetter and a Nigerian worthy of emulation.

Adadevoh, a doctor at the First Consultant, who attended to the late Patrick Sawyer, the index Ebola case patient in Nigeria, died on 19 August.

Former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, who spoke on the sideline at the Holy Cross Cathedral after the requiem mass applauded her effort and urged Nigerians to emulate her virtues.

“She gave her life for Nigeria because if she had not insisted the late Sawyer would have infected many Nigerians in Calabar and other places he was planning to go.

“And we should all be very grateful to her and pray that God may receive her soul and grant her eternal rest.”

Also the General Overseer of House on the Rock, Mr Paul Adefarasin, urged the Federal Government to use this opportunity to strengthen the healthcare system.

“She was truly the epitome of the Christian in a country where not every doctor practices the Hippocratic Oath; she sacrificed her life for the health and safety of our country.

“And I certainly stand alongside all those who believe that she must get a post humous honour and award at a very significant level from the Federal Government and every other institution that understands the importance of what she did.

“Her life also serves as an important note that we must deeply strengthen our health care systems.”

Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that everyone had a role to play in curtailing the virus and should be on red alert saying that “the danger is still on”.

He also urged the media to be sensitive in the reportage of the virus and urged them not to cause unnecessary panic.

“From the testimonies of our classmates and from what I have learnt, she was certainly the true meaning of being a doctor,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, said that the late Adadevoh loved her country so much that she laid down her life.

Martins said that the late Adadevoh knew the importance of oath taking and she followed it until her death.

“The late doctor is a model, a pace setter, woman of honour and integrity,” he said.