Stella Adadevoh: Celebrating Inimitable Physician Who Saved Nigeria From Virulent Ebola Outbreak

On this day, August 19, in 2014, Stella Ameyo Adadevoh paid the supreme price as laid down her life so that millions of Nigeria can, she died in the line of duty after taking care of Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American who was diagnosed of the Ebola virus disease.

Nigeria would have been throw into a debilitating health crisis which it might not overcome its devastating effects in years if not for Adadevoh’s meticulousness and resoluteness.

Sawyer insisted on living the hospital for Calabar for a retreat having just arrived in Lagos that bleak morning. The clairvoyant Adadevoh had a deep sense of foreboding because she felt some was not right with Sawyer’s health and she could not let her leave the hospital as that would portend danger for the country at large.

He did not take his detention lightly, says Benjamin Ohiaeri, former medical director of First Consultant Hospital, Sawyer was aggressive and irate when he was informed he could not leave the hospital.

“was very aggressive” and more concerned about leaving the hospital “than anything else”, Ohianeri said

Ohiaeri disclosed Sawyer tried to punch his weight by involving Liberian ambassador who mounted heavy pressure on Adadevoh and threatened to take actions against her and the hospital If Sawyer was not released.

“The Liberian ambassador started calling Dr Adadevo, putting pressure on her and the institution. He felt we were kidnapping the gentleman and said it was a denial of his fundamental rights and we could face further actions,” Ohiaeri said.

It was a dicey and unsettling situation for Adadevoh because Nigeria had no previous encounter with Ebola, a disease which had killed more than 1,000 people at the time, it was painstaking diagnosing and managing Sawyer who reported only fever and fatigue at the hospital.

More worrisome is the quagmire created due to Sawyer refusal to open up on his contact and travel history. He blatantly denied coming in contact with any Ebola patient or attending any funeral ceremony before his trip to Nigeria.

Ada Igonoh, one of the health workers that attended to Sawyer, recounted Adadevoh’s uncommon bravery and leadership prowess as the entire scene played out: “As we were preparing for the early-morning ward rounds, I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar for a retreat that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill.

“Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our chief medical consultant. All nurses and doctors were duly informed.

“During our early-morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh, we concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). She immediately started calling laboratories to find out where the test could be carried out. She was eventually referred to Professor Omilabu of the (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba, whom she called immediately. Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away.

“She tried to reach the Lagos state commissioner for health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the federal ministry of health and national centre for disease control.

“Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster.

“Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies, which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning. Protective gear, gloves, shoe covers and face masks were provided for the staff. A wooden barricade was placed at the entrance of the door to keep visitors and unauthorised personnel away from the patient.”

In celebrating her, TheCable recently named the late doctor, distinguished scientist and former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos as the Nigerian of the Decade, describing her as that citizen “whose life has shown that you can make a difference in the lives of millions of your compatriots without wielding the power of the state”.