Liberian Deputy Chief Medical Doctor dies of Ebola despite being injected with trial drug

The News Minute | August 25, 2014 | 07:37 pm IST

Monrovia: The Liberian government on Monday announced that the nation's Deputy Chief Medical Doctor Abraham Borbor, who was recently injected with the anti-Ebola trial drug, ZMAPP, has died.

Minister of Information Lewis Brown disclosed this to reporters in Monrovia, the West African country's capital city, although the late doctor was able to walk around on Sunday and his doctors were hopeful that he would make a full recovery, Xinhua reported.

Meanwhile, another doctor, Phillip Zokonis Ireland, who was in isolation along with Borbor, was discharged last week after he tested negative.

Updating on progress by government on Ebola virus disease sensitisation, Brown said community residents are now actively involved and the dissemination of Ebola messages is encouraging.

The minister added that the government has conducted a two-day awareness workshop in various communities to determine the response of citizens indicating that the people are now better positioned in the fight to prevent spread of the virus.

Brown told reporters that four protestors involved in the recent disturbances at the West Point Township quarantined site have tested positive to the Ebola virus disease.

Minister Brown said the government has set up a team to conduct investigation into the skirmishes in West Point after the areas were quarantined last week that led to the death of one person and injuries to several others.

Brown said Vice President Joseph Boakai would visit another quarantined Ebola isolation centre in Dolo town while President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf would visit the West Point quarantined Ebola centre.

With IANS