David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Authorities of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State have assured the general public that there was no cause for alarm over a recent media report about monkeypox epidemics scare in Anambra.
While giving the assurance, yesterday, at his office, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the health institution, Dr Joseph Ugboaja said even though the hospital had not had a recent case of monkeypox except the one he said was found some time ago, he told journalists that NAUTH had on ground a well-equipped isolation center to contain any emergency like that.
Dr Ugboaja, who is also the Director of Clinical Services, Research and Training said as part of the measures to combat any epidemic disease at the hospital including monkeypox, Lasser fever and other viral hemorrhagic diseases that NAUTH had some time in the past sent some doctors and nurses for training at Irua Specialist Hospital in Edo State on how to combat those epidemic diseases.
“We have created a system and process to help us identify on time cases of Lasser fever and other viral hemorrhagic diseases including monkeypox. We have the capacity to dictate that and even manage it preliminarily before we send our samples to Irua for diagnosis and all of that, “ he said.
He told journalists that the Lasser fever committee had also been put in place charged with the responsibility to build up the capacity to know when there was a case of Lasser fever. He explained that the committee was as well expected to sensitize the community on issues relating to the disease.
According to him, the health workers at flashpoints were also sensitized to be able to know cases when they occurred. He assured that NAUTH had improved its capacity for treatment and the pharmacy stocked with the relevant drugs.
“We had a suspected case of monkeypox some time ago and we identified it as so. That was well handled. We as an institution handle very well any suspected case of viral diseases. We are into collaboration with Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) which has been of immense help to us, “ Dr. Ugboaja said.
He announced that the hospital would organize a symposium next month which he said would focus on infection and viral diseases as well as how to manage them when they occurred.
He explained that surveillance had many facets, saying that this in effect meant that there were roles to be played by the State and Federal Governments and NAUTH as an institution.
He insisted that there was no cause for alarm as the hospital was ever ready to handle any emergency, adding that the institution was good to go while appealing to the media to be part of the sensitization effort.
He noted that the media should always help to dispel false rumours about non-existing emergencies and also help to educate the general public on good sanitary conditions.
He urged the media to let the public know that environmental sanitation and good waste disposal system could prevent the outbreak of Lasser fever and that people should beware of rats and all of that.