The 15 University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) staff that were quarantined in the wake of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) scare have been released.

The medical personnel were quarantined on October 7 after the death of a patient, which the hospital said presented symptoms mimicking viral haemorrhagic fever.

A release issued yesterday and signed by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Queeneth Kalu said, “we are pleased to inform you that preliminary tests have excluded Ebola and Lassa fever. Further tests are being done for confirmation in line with international standards.
“The Accident and Emergency (AandE) Unit is being decontaminated and will remain closed throughout this weekend. Meanwhile a temporary AandE had since been set up to attend to patients. The quarantined staffs have been released for twice daily self-monitoring”.

Dr Kalu further stated, “a hospital sensitisation seminar facilitated by the National Centre for Disease Control was held yesterday. All our clinical services are still open on inpatient and outpatient basis. We are grateful to all, who have shown concern over this incident”.

Following the EVD scare on September 7, the UCTH had quarantined all staff that had contact with the patient and blood samples of the suspected late patient and others sent to Beinin and Irrua for testing.

The AandE department was locked and the National Centre for Disease Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Cross River State Government, Calabar Municipality and Department of State Security Services were notified accordingly.