Lasa Fever‎: Enugu NMA inaugurates 22-man committee

The Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) on Monday inaugurated a 22-member committee on Lasa Fever following reported re-emergence of the disease in the South East.

The NMA Chairman, Dr. Cajetan Onyedum while briefing journalists during the inauguration said the move was necessary to sensitize residents of the state as well as health workers to be at alert.

He said that members of the association were worried over the resurgence of the disease which according to him has already recorded casualties.

“We got official information yesterday (Sunday) on the death of two of our colleagues following confirmed outbreak of Lasa Fever in Ebonyi.

“This morning a nurse also died as a result of the same disease while another colleague is in critical condition.

“We thought it would be wise to set up this committee due to the proximity between Enugu and Ebonyi in order to check the incidences here,” he said.

Onyedum said that membership of the committee was drawn from key institutions in the state, adding that the committee would embark on sensitisation campaigns across the state.

He said that the proactive move would see them visit all primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state as well as rural communities.

“The reason for this is because when the disease strikes it does not choose destination or whom to attack,” Onyedum said.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Uche Unigwe said that Nigerians could no longer be in denial of cases of Lasa Fever.

Unigwe, an expert in Infectious Diseases, said it was unfortunate that the disease had spread from the initial six states to over 20 in the country.

He said that medical workers needed to be more sensitive and at alert in identifying such cases.

“This is an indigenous disease named after a community in the country and we should do everything possible to contain it.

“The most important thing is to develop a high index of suspicion so that medical workers can easily identify Lasa Fever when they look at patients and protect themselves,” he said.

He said that the committee would embark on aggressive sensitisation of residents, adding that everything needed to be done to reduce mortality as a result of the disease.

He said that medical doctors in the state had the capacity to handle the disease if reported on good time and cautioned Nigerians to be more careful in handling food items.

Unigwe appealed to Nigerians to maintain a clean environment and ensure that rodents, especially, rats which were the primary carriers of the disease did not go in contact with their food items.

The Chairman, Infection and Disease Control Committee, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Miriam Chidobem- Ajuba said that funds were required to check and contain the disease.

Chidobem-Ajuba said that the cheering news was that the state government had upgraded facilities at health institutions.

She said that the Emergency Response Team of the state Ministry of Health had also been strengthened in case of unforeseen circumstances.

“The state government has upgraded the Isolation Ward at the Colliarey Hospital,” Chidobem-Ajuba said.

‎By Moses Oyediran, Enugu