*Testing centre to be established

By David Odama, LAFIA

NASARAWA State government is to establish a Lassa fever testing centre as the disease hit the state and claimed the lives of  two consultant gynaecologists, a woman and the baby.

Chief Medical Director,  Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Dr. Ikrama Hassan, disclosed this while addressing healthcare workers from the facility who stage a solidarity  procession  in honour  of their deceased colleagues.

According to the CMD, the management of the hospital in conjunction with the State governnent, have expressed its unreserved preparedness and willingness to  do all within  their powers to ensure that  state establish  a testing Centre for Lassa fever.

Dr. Ikrama explained that the two Consultant gynaecologists got infected after performing a surgery on a probable case of Lassa fever.

He added that 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.

“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 added.

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,” the CMD declared.

“We  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,” he said.

The medical boss further said all health workers, including non-health workers who had contacts with the deceased doctors were assessed, through contact tracing and testing; their results returned negative.

While assuring that the hospital would be  more vigilant in detecting suspected Lassa fever cases, acquire testing facility for the disease, Dr. Ikrama  said he would do everything within his powers to ensure that Nasarawa gets a testing centre for Lassa fever.

Vanguard News Nigeria