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Lassa fever patient in Lagos responding to treatment, says LUTH

By Isaac Taiwo and Paul Adunwoke
21 February 2020   |   3:47 am
The management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, yesterday assured Lagos residents that the Lassa fever patient who was admitted to the hospital

The management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, yesterday assured Lagos residents that the Lassa fever patient who was admitted to the hospital is responding to treatment.

Mr. Pius Ewa, speaking for the Public Relations Officer of the institution told The Guardian yesterday that the patient came to Lagos from an unknown destination and after medical test, it was discovered he was infected with Lassa fever virus.

He said: “Currently, he is in our isolated facility centre where he is being managed by healthcare professionals and so far, he has been responding to treatment, which is the most important thing. This is the first case of Lassa fever in Lagos since its outbreak in 2019, but I can assure you the hospital management has put in place proactive measures to ensure there is no spread of the virus.

“Therefore, I will advise Nigerians not to be afraid but keep their environment clean and maintain personal hygiene. The hospital has done contact tracing after the patient was admitted over a week ago and no other case has been recorded since then.”

In the same vein, president of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Lagos and CEO, Excellent Link Waste Management, Mr. David Oriyomi, advised Nigerians to take care of their personal hygiene and immediate environment, while teaching their children how to cater for the environment.

He made this known during a web interactive session with residents of Oshodi. He said: “Because we are desecrating the environment, it is not surprising to see various diseases emanating from our dirty environment. Keeping our environment clean cannot be overemphasized because prevention is better than cure. Half of the money being spent on curative measures could be spent on preventive measures.

“Waste management rests on a tripod, the government, the people and the operators. All of us must play our parts to have a clean environment.

The people to keep their environment clean, containerize their waste, we the operators to evacuate the waste promptly and the government to provide and maintain the dumpsites.”

Meanwhile, the state Ministry of Environment and a non-governmental organization, What Can I Give, have expressed concern over the reckless abandon with which the masses dispose of plastics after drinking the content to the extent that plastic bottles have not only blocked a lot of drainage systems but are found littering the roads.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who was represented by Mr. Michael Bankole at a recent awareness programme, said the state government was not unaware of the problem but is working to combat the menace and handle the issue in a sustainable manner.

He said Lagosians are expected to guide against indiscriminate throwing of bottles after they have taken the contents on the roads. “They should simply bag their waste and neatly place them where LAWMA or other refuse disposal vehicles would pick them.”

o-founder of What Can I Give, Olufemi Ibitoye, also called on Nigerians to stop littering plastics everywhere.

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