How Health Ministry Plans To Curb Lassa Fever

The Ministry of Health on Friday, January 15, made it known that they will revamp 10,000 health
centres in the country to help curb lassa fever.
This was unvieled by the Minister of Health, Isaac
Adewole, while briefing the Senate Committee on
Health on the outbreak of the lassa virus in Nigeria.
He added that since a ward comprises of 10,000
people, a significant number of about 100 million
Nigerians should be reached by this approach.

“We are working on a comprehensive plan to put life
into 10,000 Primary Health Centers (PHC) across
the country on the basis of one PHC per political
ward.
“Since a ward comprises about 10,000 people, we
think we will be able to reach a significant number
of Nigerians through this approach and we will be
looking at 100 million people.
“That will take care of some of the challenges, we
are also looking at facilities to provide 24 hours
facilities; this will enable us to beat this cases.
“With this, you will not treat malaria for one week, if
you treat for 48 hours and no response, you will
sent to the next level of health care,” he said.

On the recent death of a victim at the National
Hospital in Abuja, he added that a thorough
investigation was carried out by the ministry on the
patient that was brought in with the fever but dies
24 hours later.
He said although the patient who came in from
Plateau state was brought in unconscious, he had
already been stayed in a private hospital for a week
before he was referred to National hospital.
“It is unfortunate because if we had picked this man
earlier on, we would have been able to put him on
medication and he could have been alive today.
“The situation which happened in that private
hospital I have asked our people to investigate.
“We will sanction the doctor or the proprietor if we
find any act on negligence on his or her part,” he
said.
He prayed the senate to be willing to approve
money for the ministry to execute its projects on
preventing lassa and other possible outbreaks.
Lanre Tejuoso, the Chairman of the Committee while
giving his remarks assured Nigerians that money
will be approved to the health sector for Lassa fever
among other ailments.