Benue seals mortuary after Lassa fever protocols’ breach
The Benue State Government has sealed a private mortuary in Ugbokolo town of Okpokwu Local Government Area, after community youths violated safe burial protocols by forcefully depositing the corpse of a confirmed Lassa fever victim in the facility. The State’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, said on Thursday that he led […]
The Benue State Government has sealed a private mortuary in Ugbokolo town of Okpokwu Local Government Area, after community youths violated safe burial protocols by forcefully depositing the corpse of a confirmed Lassa fever victim in the facility.
The State’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, said on Thursday that he led a high-powered delegation of health officials and security operatives to Ogbadibo and Okpokwu LGAs to restore order and contain the potential spread of the virus after effecting the closure of the facility.
Ogwuche explained that the deceased, a 54-year-old woman from Ogbadibo, died at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where laboratory results confirmed Lassa fever.
He noted that officials from the state ministry of health were initially attacked by agitated youths during an attempt to conduct a safe burial as they forcefully retrieved the body and deposited it in the now sealed mortuary.
The commissioner noted that he had to act swiftly on Wednesday by convening a joint intervention with local authorities, traditional rulers, and security agencies, leading to the successful retrieval and safe burial of the corpse in Orokam, in compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines.
He immediately ordered the closure of the private hospital and mortuary where the body was kept, pending decontamination, disinfection, and full epidemiological investigation.
“All close contacts and health workers involved have been identified and placed under surveillance. Public health safety is our top priority, and the government will not tolerate actions that endanger lives,” Dr Ogwuche told journalists in Makurdi.
The commissioner also urged residents to avoid handling corpses of individuals who die from suspected infectious diseases and to promptly report any symptoms such as persistent fever or unexplained bleeding to the nearest health facility.