There was panic in Awka, Anambra state capital on Thursday, when a patient rushed to the state’s Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Amaku-Awka was diagnosed of having being a Lassa Fever patient.
The patient who was brought to the emergency ward of the hospital yesterday according an reliable source in the hospital immediately after he was diagnosed and found to be a Lassa fever case was thereafter transferred to Abakaliki, Ebonyi state where there is a national quarantine Centre for victims of the disease.
The source which spoke on condition of anonymity stated that all medical personnel in the hospital had been properly sensitised and equipped to be able to manage any Lassa fever case that might be detected in the hospital.
“Every medical personnel has been properly sensitised, and, they have their protective guard, that is why you see that everywhere in the hospital is calm, the case (Lassa fever) we had this today.
Our hospital has every facility to manage any case here. And when that Lassa fever case was brought here we managed him and moved him to the national Centre provided for the management the disease. One is in Itua, Edo state and another one is in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
When LEADERSHIP sought the reaction of the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala, to find out the part of the state where the disease was recorded and measures the government had put in place to contain the situation, he simply said “There is no cause for alarm. I will brief the press on the matter on Monday (February 3)”.
Meanwhile, discussion on the outbreak of the disease dominated virtually everywhere’ including commercial buses, streets, beer parlours, markets, etc, as people express worry over the danger the disease posed to their lives.
