LASSA FEVER:DIR Med.center CALL FOR PRECAUTION

ISSN 1595-1685

LASSA FEVER:DIRECTOR , MEDICAL CENTER CALLS FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES OF HYGIENE

Following the recent Lassa fever case in the University, the new Director, University Medical Centre, Prof. Lasbery Asomugha has called on the University community to embrace precautionary measures of hygiene to minimize contact and spread.

 

Prof. Asomugha gave this advice in a press statement recently following an index case of Lassa fever in the state.

 

The statement reads:

“We wish to inform the university community that a 200L Education student who was admitted into the Medical Center and later discharged herself against medical advice was later diagnosed to be a case of Lassa fever at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku.

 

“Once the diagnosis was made, the Public Health Department of the Anambra State Ministry of Health got in touch with our medical center. Prior to this, once the patient was discharged against medical advice, going by standard discharge protocol, the ward and the conveniences were adequately decontaminated and the environment made safe for both patients and members of the medical staff.

“Contact tracing has been done for both medical personnel and students who had primary contact with the index case and they are being followed up to monitor for secondary transmission.

 

“The Medical center in collaboration with the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health has been organizing sensitization and awareness campaigns for the staff of the Medical Center to enable the center cope better.

 

“We want to use the medium to state that the medical center is safe to offer services to the members of the public as the facility has been adequately decontaminated. Members of the University community should ignore any negative social media publicity as the university is up and doing as regards the upsurge of cases of Lassa fever throughout the country. It will be necessary to note that Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and the natural history is that there is usually an upsurge in case presentation between the months of November and May. We, therefore, enjoin every individual to undertake the basic precautionary measures of hygiene to minimize contact and spread.

 

“Importantly, our telephone correspondence with the index case this afternoon on 31/01/2020 revealed she was recuperating well. We want to express our gratitude to the public health department of the Anambra State Ministry of Health for the cooperation so far”.

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