Ebonyi recorded 81 Lassa fever cases in 2020 – Hospital

The Management of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, on Sunday, said the hospital recorded 81 new cases of Lassa fever between January and March, 2020.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Emeka Onwe, stated this at the Lassa Fever Virology Centre during the inauguration of a Lassa Fever Caretaker Centre built by the Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders.

Onwe said, “In the next two years, these doctors will leave, how will the institution cope? Imagine where we didn’t have MSF, what would have happened this year? There would have been a very serious crisis.

“Some people here did not know that there is an outbreak of Lassa fever in Ebonyi State. If you go to the town and talk of Lassa fever, they will doubt what you are saying. They will ask if it is still in existence.

“As of three days ago, the total number confirmed from January was 81. Some people now sacrifice their time and money to pay for every patient; whatever thing that patient has enjoyed here. At times, they will even buy coffin for the burial of those that died. It is something we need to reflect on. If people will leave the comfort of their home to come and save us, it is something we have to reflect on and rethink on what we will give to the society.

“It is our people that are sick; those that are sick have not committed any offence, they should not die. So, if the government is not giving us adequate support here, we will look for a way of helping our people. Whatever thing you do for a patient, God will reward you. We are really blessed because between January and February 2018, we had three deaths within 48 hours.”

Leader of the Doctors Without Borders, Dr Andrew Mills, said “We heard in Abuja about the state on the medical workers in this teaching hospital that were killed by Lassa fever in the state in 2018. So, we came to support with the Federal Government in the fight against the disease and also to support the teaching hospital.

“Since that time, we have been doing our best and the collaboration has been yielding the desired results. What we have seen in the last two years have been so encouraging.

“I remember the laboratory, when we first came in the early 2018, it took 10 days to get results if it had to be sent out to Irua Virology Hospital in Benin. Now, I learnt that it is now five hours to get result in the laboratory that is here in this federal teaching hospital.

“We have seen a number of babies born in the last three months that have all tested negative and their mothers have since been treated and become negative.