Ogun: FMC backtracks, says Lassa fever patient not dead
The Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi – Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday gave a volte-face refutal over a Lassa fever patient, Mrs Titilayo Akinsola, who was earlier reported dead. The hospital said the only death recorded at the facility “was that of a man who died of Dengue fever.” Daily Trust […]
FILE PHOTO: Lassa fever Infection, prevention and control measures at FETHA, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
The Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi – Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday gave a volte-face refutal over a Lassa fever patient, Mrs Titilayo Akinsola, who was earlier reported dead.
The hospital said the only death recorded at the facility “was that of a man who died of Dengue fever.”
Daily Trust reports that the Spokesperson of the FMC, Segun Orisajo had on Saturday confirmed the hemorrhagic fever patient to have died four days after her admission at the FMC.
Apparently making a U-turn, the publicist on Sunday addressed some newsmen in his office at FMC, denying the earlier position that the victim was dead.
Orisajo said the patient who is a 29 year old pregnant woman had been transferred to the Federal Specialist Hospital, Irua, Edo State, for expert care.
He said “The management of the centre under the leadership of the Medical Director, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu has therefore urged members of the public to disregard the purported death of Mrs Akinsola.
“The Medical Director stated that the centre has commenced contact line tracing while panic control measures are also being activated.”
When our correspondent asked Orisajo whether his earlier position was due to misinformation, he responded “The information we are giving you now is the real information. This woman is alive. She is not dead and she is receiving treatment.”
Meanwhile, the state government has confirmed a case of Lassa Fever in the state, assuring that “all is being done to contain it.”
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker in a statement on Sunday, said suspected Lassa Fever case was confirmed by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Virology Laboratory on Friday.
Coker equally insisted that “the patient is not dead as she was transferred to the Federal Specialist Hospital in Irua, Edo State, whose facilities provide the patient with the full benefit of multidisciplinary care required for her due to her pregnancy.”
She stated that the Rapid Response Team has commenced line listing of all who have come into contact with the patient for surveillance purposes, including her relatives and hospital staff who managed the case.
Coker assured members of the public that the State Government acted pro-actively by putting all counter measures in place to contain the situation.
“We have given thermometers to those who have been in contact with the patient to monitor their temperatures and also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the designated treatment center at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
“Our health educators and officers have been deployed into action and are educating the public on ways to avoid being infected with Lassa Fever.
“Other emerging or suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers are to be isolated in the designated quarantine areas for barriers nursing, until definitive diagnosis is concluded.
“The State Epidemiologist and DNSO should immediately be notified on telephone numbers 0818 897 8393 and 0818 897 8392 in case of any suspected case,” Coker added.