Dr. Cheikh Tacho: “Equipments used to fight with Ebola is from TIKA and JICA”

Dakar Fann University Hospital treating a student from Guinea, the first Ebola case till now in Senegal, opened doors for Anadolu Agency (AA). Head Doctor and Public Health Specialist Dr. Cheikh Tacho Diop responding questions of AA reporter pointed out the importance of a determined and trained team.

Emphasizing that upon instruction from Ministry of Health in Senegal after the virus was flied out, they immediately founded a quarantine clinic in the hospital and staff was trained, Dr. Diop said that they took measures against Ebola spread.  
Diop explained that the university student coming to Dakar passing the border Guinea-Senegal at first went to health care center near his house with complaints of fever but the treatment gave no result. Then he came to emergency department of Fann University, hiding he came from Guinea in risk of Ebola.
Diop continued: “When he said he lived in Senegal, the risk of Ebola did not come to mind. He had been in quarantine for suspicions of Ebola. Guinean health staff informed us when they could not reach the patient. After this case, the suspicion of Ebola got stronger. After tests results, Ebola was detected. And the patient was isolated, while he was put in a special unit. Relatives of the patient and the hospital staff who treated him when he first applied were also put in quarantine.”

He recovered in three weeks

Emphasizing it was applied a treatment based on prognosis and symptoms of the disease because there is no clear drug against Ebola, Diop said: “ As a result of an intense treatment and monitoring process, the patient recovered and returned back to his hometown with financial aid from Senegal Government.”
Stating they still monitor the patient who returned his hometown after treatment, Dr. Diop said: “We still have a phone conversation three times a week. Coming to Senegal was survival luck for him because many of his family members died from Ebola. He is now very healthy and makes marriage preparations.”
Diop said that a clear majority of the equipments used in the treatment center came from Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and she expressed her gratitude to Turkish and Japanese authorities. 
Stating that adding to the first quarantine and isolation unit with 15 beds, another treatment center with 100 beds was prepared although there is no another Ebola case so far in any part of Senegal, Diop said: “We have a well-educated expert staff against the disease. The treatment was applied based on prognosis. We now know the disease.”

The room he stayed was opened after months

Department Chief of Fann University Infectious Diseases Prof. Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Ndour, the leader of the team treating the patient with Ebola virus, opened the room for AA cameras for the first time in months after the patient was discharged from the hospital and the room was disinfected. Showing the room and bed the patient stayed, Ndour emphasized the clinic entered with special clothes is absolutely isolated place.
Highlighted the disease was diagnosed at the beginning of it, Ndour said: “The patient was cured with early diagnosis because his disease was no severe.” Dr. Ndour also added that the patient was put in quarantine a few days more after he absolutely recovered and within this time procedures for his returning back to his hometown was done. 
AA News Agency