He said, “With the resources available we will collectively eliminate the disease in Nigeria soon.We have special facilities around us and we have adequate human resource to address the challenge. “We will strengthen the Primary Health Care Centres across the country to enhance the surveillance mechanism.” The minister said 5,000 Primary Health Care centres would be activated before the end of 2016. “A committee had already been set up to map out health care centres across the country would benefit from the programme. “At least one primary health care centre will be functional in a ward,’’ Adewole added.

In a related development, the minister announced that six most affected states will have Lassa fever diagnostic centres. He said the states are Niger, Nasarawa, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi and Ondo states; this is in addition to the six existing Lassa fever treatment centres. According to him, the centres are Lassa fever Treatment Centre, Irrua, Edo; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno; Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

Others are Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), University College Hospital Ibadan, and the National Centre for Disease Control, Asokoro, Abuja. FG Gives Conditions For Burial Of Dead Victims Meanwhile, the federal government has cleared the air concerning the handling of dead bodies by relatives of the deceased, saying that they would be allowed to bury the dead after disinfecting the bodies with chlorine, among other conditions.

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Abdusalam Nasidi, disclosed this yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the emergency meeting of National Council on Health on Lassa fever outbreak. He however said that relatives of the deceased must oblige to disinfect dead bodies which should be carried out before and after in double body bags as well as ensuring that graves are dug very deep.

“Families will not be denied the bodies of their deceased relatives because there must be respect for religious and cultural beliefs. The real problem is the culture of some people to wash dead bodies before burial. However, we warn against contact with the bodies as a bid towards curtailing the virus. “Relatives will have to ensure that the bodies of the deceased are disinfected with chlorine and it is recommended that the bodies should be packaged in double body bags. We also advice that graves must be dug very deep.” In another development, a male patient who tested positive to the disease was reported to have escaped from a hospital in Ebonyi State to an unknown destination.

Panic As Doctor Dies At OAUTH, Ile-Ife. Palpable fear enveloped the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, (OAUTH) Ile-Ife yesterday following the death of a resident doctor who allegedly died of Lassa Fever disease. Though the authorities of the teaching hospital admitted the death of the doctor, they, however, debunked the insinuations that the doctor died of Lassa Fever virus. Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone yesterday, the chairman, OAUTH Committee on Lassa Fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade confirmed the death of the resident doctor but said the fact that the doctor’s ailment had symptoms similar to those of Lassa fever did not confirm him a victim of the deadly virus.

Onayade said the blood sample of the late doctor had been obtained and sent to the federal government for verification. He said until the result of the blood sample was confirmed positive, it could not be said that the hospital had recorded a case of Lassa Fever. It was gathered that doctors, nurses, other medical personnel and patients at the Emergency Unit of the hospital where the doctor died on Monday were said to had hurriedly fled the unit apparently for fear of contacting the highly contagious viral disease. Professor Onayade however cautioned against unhygienic environment and gave assurance of the readiness of the hospital to combat the virus.

Source: Leadership Online