Ameyo Stella Adadevoh found her calling as a physician, where her conscientious and compassionate nature could really come through. As confirmed by both colleagues and friends, she was an extremely dedicated, kind, Godfearing individual, who devoted herself fully to her pursuits. Just as she was a very competent doctor, so was she a loving mother, a dutiful daughter, a caring sister and a dependable friend. Humanity meant more than just words to her, it was worth dying for.
Dr Adadevoh’s name became known in 2014 but unknown to the majority of Nigerians, she had actually helped to avert what could have been a national disaster two years earlier. In 2012, swine flu had found its way to Lagos and Dr. Adadevoh was the first doctor in Nigeria to diagnose and alert the Ministry of Health about it. Just two years later, she played a similar role by alerting government authorities that the sick Liberian-American traveller to Nigeria, who had been brought to First Consultants Hospital, was indeed infected by the dreaded Ebola virus. But this time, her role didn’t end there. After diagnosing Sawyer with Ebola virus, she insisted on keeping him on admission in the hospital despite threats from the Liberian government who wanted Sawyer, their employee, to attend a conference in Calabar, Cross River State. To the pressure they put on her to discharge Sawyer, her measured but patriotic response was, “for the greater good, for the love of humanity and for the love of country, I will not release him.” Sawyer died at the hospital on July 25.
On August 4, 2014, it was confirmed she had tested positive for the virus and was being treated in quarantine. On August 19, 2014, Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, our nation’s heroine, died aged 57, having contracted the virulent disease from her patient. Reacting to Dr Adadevoh’s actions, Adaora Igonoh, a Medical Officer at the hospital said, “when she believed in something, she stood her ground.” She was noted at her place of work for her commitment and the fearlessness she exhibited in carrying out her duties.
Dr Benjamin Ohiaeri, the Chief Medical Director at the time, during an interview where his pain, anger and sense of loss could not be hidden, related how Sawyer, the index case who brought the Ebola virus to Nigeria had lied and tried to deceive the medical staff of First Consultants Hospital into believing he didn’t have the disease and how he became physically aggressive when Dr Adadevoh and her team had insisted on keeping him at the hospital. His recklessness eventually resulted in twenty Nigerians contracting the virus and eight deaths followed; but for the uncommon courage of Dr Adadevoh, it could have been hundreds of thousands or even millions more.
Following her death, several things have been done to celebrate, honour and commemorate her. The Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh Health Trust (DRASA), a non-profit health organization was established in her honour. It’s mission is to promote good hygiene and sanitation, prevent the spread of infectious diseases and improve the nation’s emergency preparedness. The heart wrenching movie, “93 Days” depicting the events of the curtailed Ebola outbreak in Nigeria and starring the Hollywood veteran, Danny Glover. Bimbo Akintola played Dr Ameyo Adadevoh.
Despite the fact that our Federal Government is yet to sufficiently honour this “saviour of the nation” whose death exemplifies a virtue that has been visibly absent in our nation for some time, patriotism, many other institutions have gone on to honour her. On October 27, 2018, Google honoured her with a Doodle, to celebrate her posthumous 62nd birthday. In 2018, she was awarded the ECOWAS Prize for Excellence. These are just a couple of the twenty or so awards she has been posthumously honoured with.
This petite and beautiful Lagos Legend, who deliberately put herself in the “line of fire” is a symbol of patriotism, sprung from her love for and service to humanity, without which there can be no sacrifice. As we celebrate Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, a real life superhero, may the ultimate sacrifice she paid for her nation never be forgotten.
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