- Two doctors, woman, baby reported dead so far
- Nasarawa Govt, Dalhatu Araf Hospital to set up Testing Centre
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Nasarawa State government has expressed readiness to establish a Lassa fever testing centre as the viral disease claimed four lives in the State.
Among persons reportedly lost to the disease include two medical practitioners, who are consultant gynaecologists, a woman and her baby
According to the Chief Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Dr Ikrama Hassan, the hospital management, in conjunction with the State government, are already working on a partnership to ensure the state establishes a testing Centre for Lassa fever in the shortest possible time.
Addressing healthcare workers from the facility, on a solidarity procession in honour of their deceased colleagues, Dr Ikrama explained that the two Consultant gynaecologists got infected after performing surgery on a probable case of Lassa fever.
He said the two doctors participated in the surgery of a woman that was bleeding after delivering a baby at the facility suspected to be a carrier of Lassa Fever, adding; “We cannot do testing here because there is no testing facility in Nasarawa, and the woman’s case was an emergency.
“So we believed that is how the two doctors contracted the virus. Unfortunately, we lost the doctors as well as the mother and her baby.”
The CMD stated that; “If there was a testing centre here, I believe test for Lassa fever would have been conducted before carrying out the surgery. Gone are the days when a patient has to wait for many days before getting a test result.”
He said following the unfortunate development, the authorities “immediately traced all the personnel’s in the hospital that had contacts with the deceased to the patient and the doctors. All the contacts, including medical personnel in the hospital, had tested negative and free from Lassa fever at the moment.”
Furthermore, Dr Ikrama said all health workers, including non-health workers who had contacts with the late doctors, have been assessed, through contact tracing and testing, with their results returning negative.
The CMD assured the public that adequate measures are being put in place to enhance vigilance in detecting suspected Lassa fever cases, especially by acquiring a testing facility, adding that there is no going back on the State government and the hospital management’s resolve to ensure that Nasarawa state boast of a well-equipped testing centre for Lassa fever in the shortest possible time.
