Lassa fever sensitisation: FETHA CMD appeals for utility vehicles

THE chief Medical Director Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, Dr Emeka Onwe Ogah has appealed to the Medicins San’s Frontiers known as Doctors without border from Rome, to assist the hospital with utility vehicles for aggressive sensitisation of Lassa fever in the rural areas within the state.

Dr Ogah who disclosed that the sensitisation when embarked on will reduce the high-level outbreak of the deadly disease in the state made the appeal when the operations coordinator from Rome, Dr Siefano Argbneiano paid a courtesy visit to the hospital management and to inspect the project ongoing within the hospital premises.

“I want to appeal to MSF that lack of sensitisation has been the greatest challenge at the rural area so I plead that utility vehicles be provided so that our team and state team can go to the hinterland to sensitise them. By so doing, it will go a long way to reduce the scourge,” he said.

ALSO READ: I have genital warts

Appreciating the group who has contributed meaningfully in providing consumables, drugs and training of staff free from contacting the disease while discharging their duties, he urged other institutions to join NSF, NCDC, and so on in the fight against Lassa fever outbreak in the state and country at large.

“The centre has been well equipped. Before now, the only thing is that a lot of forces are joining hands to fight Lassa fever in Ebonyi state and the result is very clear.

“The construction going on was due to the small size of the emergency rooms which will be difficult to manage Lassa fever and other issues and this construction going on will serve as a saving area for the management of the patients”.

“It is no longer the time a suspected case is abandoned as people will be there 24hours with immediate care for the patients because MSF has been keeping to their own words and that is why I am assuring them collaboration beyond their expectation”.

He called on the Ebonyi people to avoid eating rat, exposing their foods and keeping their environments dirty, stressing that Lassa fever is easily contacted through such means.

“People should also stop eating rats because of the deadly diseases that can be contacted through it. Keep your environment clean and avoid leaving your foods open to reduce the Lassa fever outbreak.”

“Lassa fever is endemic in Ebonyi state. When you have fever, don’t always say is malaria, small typhoid, or any other illness. If you take first aid and the fever is not going down, rush down to the teaching hospital for diagnosis.

Meanwhile, the CEO from Rome, Dr Siefano Argbneiano assured the chief medical director of their support to ensure that healthcare challenges among health workers in Nigeria and Africa are eliminated through commitment and collaboration.

Earlier, Dr Maikere Jacob, Country Medical Coordinator (MSF) stated that their mission is to make sure that any patient coming to the hospital from the entry gate is screened, isolated if suspected, and ensure a normal and quick analysis of the patient is done before directing them to the virology unit where they will receive their treatment free of charge.

He added that they will supervise the laboratory to ensure that all analysis are done in one place as Lassa fever is not known completely.

He then urged the NCDC and others to join hands in making sure that the health workers are not infected when discharging their duties.