By Jedidah Silas Kiman
Gombe
Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Dr. Abubakar Sa’id, has disclosed that the state has been cleared of any case of Lassa fever as it has been found negative of the disease.
He made the announcement when the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole visited the state to inspect health facilities in the state.
The CMD said although a few cases of Lassa fever referred from other states had been managed successfully, there was no record of the disease from the state.
“We’ve never had an indigenous case of Lassa fever, but the cases which been imported from Taraba and Bauchi states have been managed successfully managed, and i’m happy to announce that suspected case we are currently managing has been found to be negative for Lassa, Dengue and Yellow Fever Viruses,” he stated.
He, however, said the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe was facing some challenges like proper Isolation Ward to improve safety for staff and other patients, identifying funding as the major hindrance, while calling on the federal government to ensure the hospitals take off grand which it requested for the upgrading of the tertiary hospital.