BREAKING: Test confirms Osun doctor died of Lassa fever

Femi Makinde, Osogbo

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex said on Wednesday that laboratory test confirms that the resident doctor’s death on Monday at the hospital was caused by Lassa fever.

The chairman of a committee set up by the OAUTHC on Lassa fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade, said this while speaking to our correspondent in Osogbo on the telephone.

He said the result of the first test carried out on the sample of the deceased tested positive.

Onayade said, “We have a report back  and the result came as positive. We were supposed to do two tests but the patient was dying when we took the first sample.

“We can’t do the second test now. So we can say it is 50 per cent but we are  going ahead to take necessary steps. We have informed all those who should know.”

He said the hospital was on top of the situation adding that there was no need for anybody to panic as a result  of this.

There is fear among the residents of the state that  the situation may be worse because doctors in government hospitals are on strike.

However, the Chairman Osun State Association of Medical and Dental Officers, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle,  had earlier told our correspondent that  the association  would suspend its strike in case of an outbreak of the disease.

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 wants 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 one prolonging the strike, we are ready to work when our demands are met.”

SOURCE: PUNCH