Lassa fever hits Ogun, kills nurse, more feared infected

Fear has gripped workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, following a report that an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Bolanle Adesuyi died of Lassa fever.

While the nurse died last Sunday, the hospital’s spokesman, Mr. Segun Orisajo, disclosed that two other workers of the hospital were under “close monitoring.”

Orisajo told The Guardian that the blood sample of the officials had been taken to the laboratory to “ascertain their status.”

He explained that the hospital did not have any information on how the nurse contacted the disease.

Investigations, however, revealed that the late Adesuyi was infected after treating a patient who was “brought to the hospital from Ijebu-Ode.”

The two workers under surveillance were alleged to have had contact with the late patient.

Also, a mortuary assistant who recently died at the hospital has been linked with the disease.

Orisajo, who confirmed the death of the mortuary attendant, said he could not establish whether he died of Lassa fever.

When The Guardian visited the hospital, located at Idi-Aba yesterday morning, he saw palpable anxiety among the doctors and staff.

Some of the workers, who spoke under anonymity, said they were working under “terrible” conditions, as they do not have the basic tools.

They said the hospital, which is being transformed into a teaching hospital, lack essentials like sanitisers and water.

They further alleged that the workers’ morale was low because they have not been paid their salaries for three months.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye could not be reached, as several calls to him did not go through.

But it was learnt that he had addressed the hospital staff to “douse the tension.”

Orisajo, however, said the hospital had started a “de-contamination of the thematic areas”