Irked by the resurgence of Lassa fever in the
South-east zone, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State chapter, on Monday inaugurated a 22-member committee to sensitise the public and prepare health
workers to be at alert.
There were reports of the resurgence of the disease
in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, over the weekend. Already, it has recorded
casualties.
Chairman of the state NMA, Dr. Cajetan Onyedum,
said the move was necessary to sensitise residents of the state as well as
health workers to be at alert.
“We got official information yesterday on the death
of two of our colleagues following confirmed outbreak of Lassa fever in state.
This morning a nurse also died as a result of the same disease while another
colleague is in critical condition.
“We thought it would be wise to set up this
committee due to the proximity between Enugu and Ebonyi States in order to
check the incidences here,” he said.
Onyedum said membership of the committee was drawn
from key institutions in the state, adding that the committee would embark on
sensitisation campaigns across the state.
According to him, the proactive move would see them
visit all primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state as
well as rural communities.
“The reason for this is because when the disease
strikes, it does not choose destination or whom to attack,” Onyedum said.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Uche Unigwe,
said Nigerians could no longer be in denial of cases of Lassa fever.
Unigwe, an expert in infectious diseases, said it
was unfortunate that the disease had spread from the initial six states to over
20 in the country.
He said medical workers needed to be more sensitive
and at alert in identifying such cases, adding that "this is an indigenous
disease named after a community in the country and we should do everything
possible to contain it.
“The most important thing is to develop a high
index of suspicion so that medical workers can easily identify Lassa fever when
they look at patients and protect themselves.”
He said that the committee would embark on
aggressive sensitisation of residents, adding that everything needed to be done
to reduce mortality as a result of the disease.
Unigwe said medical doctors in the state had the
capacity to handle the disease if reported in time, and cautioned Nigerians to
be more careful in handling food items.
He appealed to Nigerians to maintain a clean environment
and ensure that rodents, which are the primary carriers of the disease, did not
get in contact with their food items.
The Chairman, Infection and Disease Control
Committee, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Miriam Chidobem- Ajuba,
said funds were required to check and contain the disease.
Chidobem-Ajuba said the cheering news was that the
state government had upgraded facilities at health institutions.
She said the Emergency Response Team of the state
Ministry of Health had also been strengthened in case of unforeseen
circumstances.
“The state government has upgraded the Isolation Ward
at the Colliarey Hospital,” Chidobem-Ajuba added.
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