Lassa Fever: Rivers Raises Rapid Response Team

In a swift response to curb the menace of Lassa Fever, the Rivers State Government has set up a Rapid Response Team to oversee emergency cases.

The team is made up of State health officials and their counterparts from the Federal Ministry of Health and  the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital(UPTH).

Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker who inaugurated the team at the weekend, immediately approved logistics for the body to commence work considering the threat of the disease.

Dr. Parker approved an emergency unit be set up at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital with necessary equipment to manage cases.

The Health Commissioner said,” this is a public health challenge. There is Lassa Fever in Rivers State and we must do all we can to curb the menace.”

Part of the measures aimed at tackling the contagious disease include increased public awareness campaign, provision of medical kits to staffers and setting up of an admission unit in the federal hospital.

Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Godwin Mpi while briefing the body spoke of the need to spread  the campaign to barracks and slums, and other areas that harbour rats.

He also suggested that the authorities of the Environment Ministry be included in the team considering their functions.

Earlier, Chief Medical Director of UPTH, Prof A. C Ojule informed the Commissioner of the need to provide safety kits for staffers.

Prof. Ojule argued  that since the disease was highly contagious, medical personnel have to be fully protected adding,” since the outbreak of the epidemic our medical staffers have become exposed and some of them are now symptomatic.”

He called on the state government to provide diagnostic equipment, maintaining that the tracing of the disease need to be carried out  early.

It would be recalled that the first case of Lassa Fever was recorded early this year after a youth corp member serving in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area died of the disease.