This doctor may have died of Lassa Fever in Osun State

Na wa ooo...for Lassa fever....there is palpable fear  among residents of Osun State about the spread of Lassa fever following the death of a doctor at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile Ife.Our correspondent gathered that the  deceased, who returned from Ondo State with Illness was admitted in the intensive care unit of the hospital.He was said to be vomiting blood and showing
Read moreother symptoms associated with the Lassa fever before he  died  on Monday.A source at the hospital said, “The doctor just returned from Ondo State and he became ill. He was admitted on Sunday and he died on Monday.  I was told that he showed symptoms similar to Lassa fever.“The hospital has started contact tracking and some of the nurses and workers have been placed under observation.”The chairman of a committee set up by the OAUTHC on Lassa fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade, when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent said although a resident doctor died, the hospital had yet to confirm if he died of Lassa fever.Onayade said, ” A resident doctor died andwe are suspecting Lassa fever among other causes. We cannot say it is Lassa fever until test confirms it. “Earlier, the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs  of the hospital, Mr. Johnson  Oladeji, had debunked the rumours of Lassa fever while speaking to our correspondent on the telephone.Oladeji said there was no doctor nor anybody with the virus at the hospital while urging members of the public to ignore the rumour.He said, ” There is nothing like that here. No doctor died of Lassa fewer at OAUTHC. We don’t want it here and we are doing everything to prevent it.”The Chairman of Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle,  when contacted on the telephone said  the association  would suspend its  strike incase of an outbreak of disease.Adekunle said, despite the strike, the OSAMDO still allowed some of its members in surveillance unit, HIV and other units work unhindered.He said, ” Though we are on strike, we still allow our members in surveilance, HIV, tuberculosis to be working. This is what the state government wats to use to break our ranks but it cannot work. We asked them to be working because we are not fighting against our people but the government.” But if there is an outbreak, we will suspend our strike action and work to combat it. The state government is the oneprolonging the strike, we are ready to work when our demands are met.”