Anambra State is now battling to save lives, as Lassa fever has claimed the lives of a medical doctor and three others in the state.
This was a revelation by the state Ministry of Health Thursday in Awka during a one-day Lassa fever training workshop.
One of the resource persons at the workshop Dr. Jane Ezeonu confirmed that the medical doctor died at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, three days ago.
Also, the Director of Public Health in the state, Dr Emmanuel Okafor, said the state had equally recorded the death of three others, recently.
For Ezeonu, the late medical doctor was referred to NAUTH from Asaba, Delta state.
She warned the people of the state to stop drinking raw garri, adding that they should protect their food and related items from rats.
Furthermore, she explained that people don’t acquire immunity after suffering from Lassa fever.
Ezeonu said general hygiene was important in Lassa fever prevention.
For Dr Okafor, the essence of the workshop was to train professionals who would go to the grassroots to educate the people on the prevention of the disease.
According to him “In Anambra State, we don’t know the number of cases of the disease, but we have three confirmed deaths”
He therefore, called on health workers in the state to exercise high standard in handling Lassa fever cases.
But he hinted that the state government had put machinery in motion to tackle the scourge.
In his speech, the permanent secretary in the state ministry of health, Dr Okwuchukwu Chukwuka insisted that there was no such epidemic in the state.
He represented the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Josephat Akabuike on the training workshop.
He said “It is a training workshop for health professionals in the 21 local government areas of the state who would sensitize and disseminate information about Lassa fever to the grassroots.
“We are having the workshop for prevention, not that we have an epidemic in the state,” the permanent secretary said.
It was gathered Thursday that Lassa fever had been on in the state, with the Ministry of Health doing everything possible to hide it.
Before now, the State Government had denied the influx of tuberculosis that hit about 2000 patients in the state in recent times. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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