The Ogun state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has doused the tension of management and members of staff of the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba in Abeokuta over the case of Lassa fever which claimed the life of an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer and a mortuary attendant.
In a statement signed by the state’s ministry of health Public Relations Officers, Ebunlomo Taiyese and Adeniyi Akinbobola, and made available to DAILYPOST, the Commissioner said the situation does not call for unnecessary panic.
He said Lassa fever can only be transmitted by getting in contact with body fluid unlike that of Ebola which can be transmitted through air and some other means.
Ipaye said the State Government has always been proactive on issues relating to public health, saying that Ogun State has never recorded any case of Lassa Fever except for the two cases allagedly imported to the State from Ebonyi and Kogi State who later died at Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) some few months ago.
He said the State Ministry in collaboration with FMC would quickly set up an isolation centre at the premises to attend to emergencies of such, while urging the nurses to always attend to all patients in the most hygienically and acceptable manner.
He said, “We are going to immediately create an isolation centre here at FMC to cater for unexpected cases and emergency on public health issues like Lassa fever to include others communicable diseases and have set officers out to confirm the root of the cases.”
He said a continuous sensitization is ongoing on the need for the public to keep maintaining high sense of medical and personal hygiene, get rid of rat in and around the house, all food stuff be well covered at all times as well as constant hand washing.
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