ASABA/Nigeria: Heads of health facilities and other health workers have been called upon to urgent report all suspected cases of Lassa fever to their local government area Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) as they are the first link to response and care of Lassa fever in the state.
The Incidence Manager, State Emergency Operations Committee, Dr Ann Ojimba, made the call at a one-day training on Lassa fever infection, prevention and control and management, held at the Conference Hall, Delta State Contributory Health Commission, Asaba.
Dr Ojimba revealed that during last year’s season of Lassa fever outbreak, samples were not gotten from other hospitals apart from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba explaining that the index of suspicion was not as high as that of 2020 when awareness has been created hence positive cases coming out from Warri, Ughelli, Agbor among other Local Government Areas.
According to Dr Ojimba, a consultant in public health at the Department of Public Health, Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, said that health care workers were beginning to speak out on seeing Lassa fever symptoms and signs, adding that such should be the norm.
She said that DNSOs should be contacted whenever there was a suspected case in any health facility to come and collect samples and in cases where the relatives of the patients did not agree that the patient be referred to FMC, Asaba they should collect the samples and send to Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State for test.
“This has become necessary because it is better to err at the side of caution, in that when the test result returns positive the DNSOs who are in the know of the case will immediately commence contact tracing of those who had had close contact with the patients,” she stated.
Dr Philomena Okeowo, a consultant in community health, in her presentation on, expressed sadness over the case of the two medical officers who were confirmed positive on Lassa fever and currently receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital, Irrua, Edo State.
According to Dr Okeowo, who is Director in the Delta State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the main thrust of the training was on how to make sure that a health worker does not get infected and at the same time a patient does not get infected for patronizing a health facility.
She said that the most effective means of tackling the disease was to break the transmission route i.e. from rats (host) to man and the second which was the transmission from human to humans, saying more emphasis should be placed on Infection, Prevention and Control teachings.
One of the resource persons, Dr Adesuwa Aigbokhaode, Consultant Public Physician, FMC, Asaba in her presentation titled: Management of Lassa Fever stressed the need for health workers to observe standard health precautionary measures and not risk their lives by exposing themselves to the virus.
She harped on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) before commencing the examination and also reduce close contacts by giving a gap of three meters from the infected or suspected patients.
On his part, Dr. Richard Ikeogwu, the State Epidemiologist gave a presentation on Disease Surveillance which he zeroed down to the continuous collection, collation, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of health data for action.
The training which was organized by the Delta State Ministry of Health was for doctors, nurses and other health officers from government-owned health facilities.
The next batch which is for health workers in private health facilities is due in two days time.
