Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH MEDIA STATEMENT
Mrs Marilyn Lahana, the first person to contract Ebola fever in South Africa, died in the Johannesburg Hospital at about 20h00 this evening.
Her condition had been critical for more than a week due to multiple organ dysfunction resulting fron the infection. Already dependent on life support systems when she was transfered from Sadton Clinic to the Johannesburg Hospital on Saturday November 16, she showed no signs of improvement during the week.
On Friday she experienced several bleeds into the brain and, after stabilisation on Saturday, her condition deteriorated further during the course of today.
Mrs Lahana, wife of Springbok bowlwer Cyril Lahana and mother of two daughters, was a theatre sister at the Morningside Clinic. It was there that she helped treat Dr Clement Mambana, a doctor from Gabon who unwitingly brought the Ebola virus into South Africa, and so contracted the viral fever.
The Gauteng MEC for Health, Amos Masondo, extendend sympathy to mr Lahana, Debby and Candice. " Our thoughts are with you. We can only feel a fraction of the pain that you do. But there can be few people in the Gauteng healt services who have not been moved by Marilyn's struggle to live. Her death will be widelhy felt and many, many people's hearts go out to you."
Released by the Directorate for Health Promotion and Communication Contact: Jo-Anne Collinge Tel: 082 574 5510
Off the record: WE APPEAL TO MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA NOT to contact the Lehana family tonight and to respect their grief and privacy in the days to come.
The Gauteng Ebola Task Team will hold a press conference early tomorrow morning. Details later via Alpha Page.