Ebola: Reps Seek Adadevoh’s Immortalisation

The House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja called on the Federal Government to immortalise late Stella Adadevoh by naming a medical institution after her.

The lawmakers also requested that the government should compensate the families of the late consultant and other health workers who died of the Ebola Virus Disease.

Adadevoh was the consultant who treated late Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought the disease into Nigeria, at the First Consultant Hospital, Lagos. Sawyer died at the hospital.

Adadevoh contracted the virus in the process of managing the Liberian and died shortly after.

The lawmakers’ resolution followed a motion by Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas (APC- Lagos State) on the need to immortalise the woman and compensate the families of health workers who contracted the disease while treating infected persons and died.

Okoya-Thomas noted that forceful refusal of Adadevoh to allow late Sawyer to travel to Calabar prevented the disease from spreading to other parts of the country.

The motion was seconded by Leo Ogor (PDP – Delta) and other lawmakers concurred that the late Adadevoh deserved to be honored.

In his contribution, Emmanuel Jime (APC-Benue State) called for adequate funding of the health sector in order to protect medical practitioners.

Nkiruka Onejiocha (PDP-Abia) said that honouring Adadevoh was long overdue, adding that “if Adadevoh did not sacrifice her life for this country, who knows if we will be here today?’’

In a voice vote, the lawmakers unanimously supported the motion in a session presided by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.