FROM: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
No fewer than 396 people have been placed under surveillance as a result of the death of an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Abolanle Adewuyi of the Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta, who was reported to have died of Lassa Fever.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, made this known on Friday when he spoke at the commissioning of a private hospital in Ifo area of the state.
According to him, the people who had primary and secondary contact with the late nursing officer, were put under surveillance in case they develop symptoms of the disease.
He pointed out that the primary contacts are majorly members of the victim’s family, while the secondary contacts are the co-workers in the hospital, especially those in the same unit with the deceased nurse.
Ipaye stated further that none of the contacts had shown abnormal temperature since they have been under monitoring adding that, “the medical officers attached to each of the contacts would continue to monitor until the specified period in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard.It is after then that they could be medically adjudged to be free of the disease”.
While imploring members of the public not to panic, Ipaye assured that government was on top of the situation.
Meanwhile, he advised the people to cultivate high level of hygiene and keep their food away from rats.
He, however, urged members of the public to report any case of malaria symptoms that may have exceeded three days to the nearest General Hospital, the Ministry of Health, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
