Medical personnel, patients flee hospital as Lassa fever kills two

Activities at the Federal Medical Centre,  Idi-Aba,  Abeokuta, on Tuesday  were paralysed as medical personnel and patients deserted the hospital after Lassa Fever claimed two lives in the hospital.

The victims were an assistant nursing officer, Abolanle Adesuyi  and a serving corps member, whose identity could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

The resurgence of the viral disease known as Lassa Hemorrhagic fever came barely four months after the state government declared the state Lassa fever free.

The late corps member was said to be a patient who had been down with the viral disease and had been admitted into the FMC, Abeokuta.

Adesuyi was said to have attended to the corps member, from whom she contacted the virus.

Apparently startled by the death of the two, the hospital management carried out a test at the University College Hospital, Ibadan to determine the cause of death.

The result received on Tuesday confirmed that the victims died of Lassa Fever.

Many medical personnel in the department deserted the place immediately the news of the cause of the death of the the assistant nursing officer was received at the hospital.

Some patients in the hospital, were also said to have pleaded to be discharged.

A doctor and a nurse were reportedly being monitored currently at the intensive care unit of the hospital over the virus.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the hospital,  Segun Orisajo, confirmed that the FMC, Abeokuta, lost an assistant chief nursing officer, Bolanle Adesuyi to the virus.

He said when the virus broke out in the hospital,  the hospital management placed Adesuyi  and two other members of staff  under surveillance.

He said, “Officers of the state Ministry of Health have embarked on a contact tracing exercise to ascertain the number of people that could have also contacted the disease.

Punch