Ayodeji Ake
Nigeria’s index Ebola patient, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, has been evacuated from Abuja aboard an air ambulance, according to a report by ARISE News, the sister media company of THISDAY Newspapers.
The medical evacuation took place early Monday morning through the private jet wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where heightened security measures were reportedly put in place ahead of the aircraft’s departure.
It was reported that its crew deployed to the airport’s General Aviation Terminal obtained photographs showing a convoy of ambulances and diplomatic vehicles arriving from the Abuja city centre.
The three-vehicle convoy reportedly included a vehicle belonging to an international agency, which proceeded into the airport’s private aviation section.
Airport officials subsequently cordoned off the private wing as arrangements for the medical evacuation continued.
ARISE News also obtained video footage showing the medical evacuation aircraft and members of its crew involved in transporting the passenger, whose reported status as Nigeria’s index Ebola patient had drawn significant attention to the operation.
A source cited by ARISE News disclosed that the Federal Government planned to announce the evacuation only after the aircraft had taken off and exited Nigerian airspace.
The reported evacuation comes amid heightened public attention to Nigeria’s Ebola preparedness and response measures, particularly concerning the management and movement of suspected or confirmed cases.
As of the time of the report, further official details about the patient’s destination, medical condition and the circumstances surrounding the evacuation had not been disclosed.