Mortician, Nurse Die Of Lassa Fever In Ogun After Attending To Lebanese Patient

A mortician identified only as Okusaga, and a nurse, Omobolanle Adesuyi, have died of Lassa fever at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The deceased persons are believed to have contracted the deadly virus from a Lebanese patient who later died. The hospital cancelled a planned Christmas carol scheduled for Tuesday in honour of the dead.

The acting medical director of the hospital, Kehinde Hunyinbo, told Premium Times the deaths were being investigated.

“It is true and we have commenced investigation into it, having contacted the Ministry of Health,” he said.

The state commissioner for health, Babatunde Ipaye, called for calm, saying the government had always been proactive on issues relating to public health.

He said the ministry in collaboration with federal authorities would quickly set up an isolation center at the premises to attend to emergencies.

“We are going to immediately create an isolation center here at FMC to cater for unexpected cases and emergency on public health issues like Lassa fever to include others communicable diseases and have set officers out to confirm the root of the cases,” he said.

The mortuary worker is said to have recently completed his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

Born in 1973, the nurse joined the Federal Medical Centre in December 2001, and rose to the position of Assistant Chief Nursing Officer.