Irrua Centre working towards Lassa fever vaccine – CMD

Dr Sylvanus Okogbenin is the Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, the main Lassa fever treatment centre in the country. In this interview, he speaks on how the hospital achieved low mortality in the current Lassa fever outbreak, operations and challenges of the centre among others.   How is the hospital managing the […]

Dr Sylvanus Okogbenin is the Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, the main Lassa fever treatment centre in the country. In this interview, he speaks on how the hospital achieved low mortality in the current Lassa fever outbreak, operations and challenges of the centre among others.

 

How is the hospital managing the current Lassa fever outbreak?

There is an improvement this year because we are better prepared. Some of the patients came early while some came late but because we are more prepared, we are able to manage them. We also prepared for it because this is the season

We received quite a number of support in terms of the items that we normally use like the consumables and drugs. We got lots of supply from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) like drugs, personal protective equipment (things that doctors and nurses use to protect themselves from contracting the disease).

We received support from the Edo State government in terms of personal protective products. We also got support from the Federal Ministry of Health. So we got the support that we need and I think that is why we are getting results more than what we had in the past.

I can, therefore, say the mortality is low this time. We have received 91 patients since January and we only lost three and those are the ones that came to the hospital very late and they died within 24 hours of reaching the hospital. We have done over 25 units of dialysis for the patients and many of them are doing very well.

Where do you get referrals from?

We get patients from everywhere in the country. Though most of the patients in our centre are from Edo State we also get referrals from neighbouring states, especially when the illness is advanced or the patients are pregnant women.

We received a pregnant woman from Ogun State and great progress is being made on her case.

The rumour that she is dead is not true, and she has been delivered of her baby and they are both doing very well.

Another pregnant woman from Edo State has also been delivered of her baby and they are doing well.

We also have a corps member from Asaba and the rumour that he is dead is not true. He is doing well and has received two units of dialysis and will receive one more.

Is the centre not overwhelmed due to the critical nature of the disease?

We have a larger number than we had in the past outbreaks. Before this outbreak, we created an extra ward in anticipation of the need for more spaces so that we can take more patients because we know that not all hospitals can take care of Lassa fever patients. So we got more beds, deplored nurses and doctors from the regular areas to the institute so that they can handle a greater number of patients.

What are the challenges facing the hospital in the treatment of Lassa fever patients?

One of the challenges is controlling the relatives of the patients because many of them come from far places and they are always around the patients, so controlling them can sometimes be a problem for us. Again, we need to keep motivating our doctors and nurses so that they can continue to do the work.

We are also hoping that people learn to protect themselves so that the number coming to the hospital can reduce because it keeps pressure on our dialysis machines and we have to dialyse the patients to be stable. So it is a lot of work for us; a lot of overhead, much weight on our staff. We are all doing this because there is joy in saving life.

Who foots the bill for treatment, patients or government?

The federal government is subsidising the treatment significantly. They supply the drug which is the only drug (ribavirin) for treatment of Lassa fever and it is given to patients free of charge.

The cost of it per patient is between N400,000 and N500,000. The Lassa fever test, PCR, is also done free of charge because it is also very costly and before you get one positive to the disease you might have tested over 100 persons and all is done free.

The PCR test is not a test that can be done anyhow, it is very costly. To conduct a PCR test is not less than N250,000 but it is also free for them. Patients only pay for some consumables that they need or any other illness that the person is suffering before and needs to also treat it. They also need to pay for bed space which is N1000.

The bottom line is that many patients do not have money for these but we treat them free. Because of that, even those who can afford it claim they can’t and are treated free because we realise the nature of the illness.

But now, the federal government through the NCDC has approached us and they have proposed how we are going to be reimbursed so that all Lassa fever patients can be treated free and this will take off soon.

I call on well-meaning individuals and organisations to join the government in the campaign against Lassa fever, support the hospital and treatment centres engaged in the treatment of confirmed Lassa fever cases to curtail morbidity and mortality.

Is the centre researching a vaccine for the ailment?

We are working with the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation and some international organisations for vaccine development. Certain vaccines have been developed but they need to be tested through clinical trial and preparations are underway to commence clinical trial so that we can determine the efficacy of this vaccine. I hope that the preliminary trial would begin before the end of the year.