Most doctors treat deadly diseases as ordinary diseases - Isaac Adewole
- The minister of health, Isaac Adewole, says doctors fail to wear protective medical apparels while treating patients with deadly diseases
- He states that the outbreak of other deadly diseases across the country could be partly blamed on the delay to fully equip the Virology Centre Abakaliki
- Two people die from a Lassa fever outbreak in Imo state
The increasing number of health workers infected with Lassa fever is due to their refusal to take necessary precaution while treating patients, the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, has said.
Speaking during a Saturday, January 27, courtesy call on the Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, the minister said most doctors fail to wear protective medical apparels while treating patients with deadly diseases, Premium Times reports.
“What is worrisome is that when doctors and healthcare workers become infected then the country is in danger because every person that will go and meet that doctor or nurse is at risk.
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”I want to say that up till today no health care worker has contacted Lassa at Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo state because if you take precaution, wear gloves before you take blood, wear gloves before you operate, you can’t catch Lassa fever.
“Lassa fever requires close contact between the blood of an infected person and healthcare workers looking after him. Once you wear gloves, wear protective gown, you can’t have Lassa fever. But what we have discovered is that doctors and nurses treat Lassa as if it is just ordinary flu or malaria, but it is not,” the minister said.
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He said the outbreak of other deadly diseases across the country could be partly blamed on the delay to fully equip the Virology Centre Abakaliki, which was built and handed over to the federal government, on outbreak of other deadly diseases across the country.
Meanwhile, the Imo state commissioner of health, Dr Angela Uwakwem, while speaking in Owerri on Tuesday, January 23, has confirmed the recent outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
Two people have been recorded dead and seven quarantined in the state. Uwakwem confirmed that the two people died after they were referred out of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
In a related report, the Ondo state government has confirmed 24 cases of Lassa fever and five deaths from the deadly disease in four local government areas in the state.
The state commissioner for information and orientation, Yemi Olowolabi, confirmed this to newsmen.
The affected local government areas are Owo, Akoko southwest, Akure north and Akure south.
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Source: Legit.ng
