Ailing Nigeria based Zim driver treated from a car as Ebola fears rage on

GWANDA - A ZIMBABWEAN engineer-based in Nigeria was on Tuesday night treated from a Toyota Fun Cargo vehicle at Gwanda Hospital after exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms as health officials were scared to admit him into the institution, fearing he had contracted the deadly virus that has claimed almost 5 000 lives since its outbreak in West Africa.

The incident has exposed the lack of preparedness at the provincial referral hospital in the event of an outbreak of Ebola, as the centre has no facilities to quarantine patients suspected to be infected with the virus.

This is despite government claims that it is ready to deal with the epidemic while Nigeria was recently declared Ebola free.

Sources said Arnold Chada (45) was REPORTEDLY brought to the hospital by a colleague at around midnight on Tuesday.

The colleague then proceeded to inform night duty officials that he had brought a patient suffering from fever and that he had recently been in Nigeria. Fearing for the worst, Chada, who returned from the West African nation last Saturday, was ordered to remain in the vehicle as NURSES called DOCTORS to come and attend to him.

 "I am actually thankful to hospital staff and the doctors who attended to me," Chada a local daily paper. "I had a fever and like someone who WORKS in Nigeria I had to be honest about where I came from. I understand that our hospitals do not have the proper facilities to deal with such cases.

"I went there again this morning (Wednesday) and I was well received. I am feeling better now."

Both the hospital's medical superintendent Dr Pugie Chimberengwa and the provincial medical director Dr William Busumani referred questions to Health minister David Parirenyatwa, saying they were not allowed to speak to the media.

Efforts to get a comment from the Health ministry were fruitless.