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Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Fourteen persons in Delta State have so far tested positive for the dreaded Lassa fever.
One person has so far died of the disease in the state, according to the Incident Manager, Emergency Operations Committee on Lassa fever, Dr. Anne Ojimba.
Giving an update on Lassa fever during a meeting with the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye in Asaba, Dr. Ojimba revealed that the body of the victim who died in Kebbi State and brought home had been properly buried by the health officials.
Ojimba explained that the body had the potential of spreading the disease if the standard burial procedures were not adhered to.
She expressed gladness over the discharge of two patients (a corps member serving in the state and a medical doctor) earlier referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State.
On his part, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ononye, directed all medical health workers in both public and private health facilities in contact with suspected Lassa fever cases to urgently report to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DNSOs) in their locality and also submit themselves for proper screening.
Ononye stated that the state government would not allow the health of residents to be compromised, saying that some owners of health facilities and health workers had refuse to adhere to the procedures spelt out by the Emergency Operations Committee on how to contain the spread of Lassa fever.
He reiterated that any medical facility that had treated a confirmed Lassa fever case would be shut down for 48 hours and the premises decontaminated before such a facility would be allowed to continue to render service to patients, adding that such facilities risk spreading the disease.
Ononye decried uncooperative attitude of health workers with the Emergency Operations Committee to carry out contact tracing, stressing that it was impeding the efforts of the committee.
The commissioner appreciated the officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for sending a rapid response team led by Dr. Belu Abaye to the state with a view to giving technical assistance on how to contain the disease.
