By Nnabugwu Chizoba
The
report by Reality Newspaper of a suspected Lassa fever case in Jos, the Plateau
state capital, with regards to the management of the suspected patient is one
case too many, indeed of an interesting development.
The
report reads in part “There is palpable scare in the city of Jos, the capital
of Plateau State, over the poor management of a suspected Lassa fever patient
who later died on her way, after several referrals from one hospital to the
other with no adequate health protective measures by Our Lady of Apostles
(OLA), Hospital and Plateau State Hospitals”.
The
two hospitals referred to in the report operate in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
On
coming in contact with the report, and after reading it, cold fever ran through
my spine. This was inspired by fear and anxiety. Within minutes interval, my
state of mind crisscrossed from its original position to anger and frustration,
and thereafter switched to doubt and subsequently back to irritation, but this
time, driven by concern for the community and public health, generally.
Without
mincing words, I wish to point out quickly and rightly too, that I am not in
the medical profession, or in anything near it. I say this, believing that, my
state of mind may have been influenced by ignorance, which I presently harbor
on medical issues, especially, on a medical condition, such as Lassa fever.
Thus,
if you feel, I have in anyway, sounded exaggerating, alarming or naive in this
piece, it is most probably, a function of timidity and limited exposure on my
part, on matters of medicine. I will not be surprised, if the two, put
together, have led me to consider as insensitive, the role played by the medical
team on one hand and on the other, the ruthlessness, contagious or communicative nature of Lassa
fever; the case in hand, and again what I view, as professional neglect of the
public health procedure over what is noticeably and arguably in all ramifications; over-zealousness on the part of an apprentice staff and poor supervisory and
administrative procedure on the part of
OLA and even the Plateau State Hospital, with regards to the handling of the suspected Lassa fever
case at various stages, as contained in the report.
I
will not be very surprised if the institutions involved in this case, and few
others who may rise to claim of being rooted in the medical profession vehemently
oppose my authority to speak on the issue, and thus challenge my temerity to
air my voice, and in doing so brand me an ignoramus, whose opinion, in this
matter does not count or hold water, therefore out of place - our usual
approach to covering the wrongs in our system.
Truth
is, the elect among them, in terms of sound judgment and good conscience, be
they from the medical and allied professions, of the institutions involved in
this matter know that name calling and brigandage is not a way of erasing, or
correcting the identifiable wrongs in the case study or any other ills in the
society.
It
is common knowledge that issues of this nature and other issues, not minding
the profession, institutions or persons involved are never right, simply
because the person pointing out the wrong, is in the opinion of those
countering the issue in question not a professional colleague or institutional
members, but that facts speaks for themselves.
Some
portions of that report raises issues of concern, because of noticeable acts of
insensitivity to public health and general wellbeing by OLA and the Plateau
State Hospitals.
My
first concern stems from a portion of the report: “the suspected patience who
was supposed to be quarantined according to medical procedures, and owing to
Lassa fever’s high level communicable potentials of been transferred to another
person kept in one hospital, was exposed to the family members and unsuspecting
Nigerians in Jos, as they moved the patient from one Hospital to another”.
The
questions that readily came to my mind are: Could this be true, what does OLA
Hospital have in mind by doing this. The other is, could it be the same Lassa
fever that I’ve heard of? Do they really understand the implication of such
action to public health?
Still
in my state of confusion, I am moved to seek further clarification, or better
still, increased understanding of the role of the Hospitals and the medical
team in the management and protection of the public from the devastating effect
of a medical condition(s), such as Lassa fever.
How
prepared are our Hospitals and the medical institutions in terms of medical
emergencies, and disease outbreak, like the case in hand?
Considering
the medical institutions mentioned in the report and the roles they played in handling the suspected Lassa fever case (if any), and on your own deepen the
argument by considering the implications of such actions.
In
doing so, it is important to bear in mind that, such action is capable
of leading or may have led to the spread of the suspected disease “Lassa fever”, in Plateau State.The consequences of such a development is better imagined.
It is difficult to come to terms, as a matter of fact, it is unthinkable that Lassa fever spread, have been aggravated in Plateau state as a result of very poor management, leading to the release and public exposure of the suspected Lassa fever patient to the community, .
Let
us start by asking, in terms of medical health and condition, the status, at present, of those
that were in the same vehicle that the suspected Lassa fever patient was
transported to the Plateau State Hospital, and others in the vehicle that she was transported to the Air force Hospital,
after the Plateau State Hospital reportedly rejected the her, because of the medical report from OLA Hospital, considering also, that the patient was on a public transport. What is also the fate of many that would have used the vehicle after and their relations who may have come in contact with them. The list is indeed endless.
As
we speak, what is the fate of the medical team, at OLA Hospital, and those
patients who reportedly gathered to witness the suspected patient, especially
when you consider that OLA Hospital reportedly adopted the methodology of
making the medical development a public matter by announcing their suspicion
openly, thereby attracting huge crowd to witness the patient. An indication
that they do not see anything wrong in that development, especially when you
realize that they also exposed the suspected Lassa fever patient to the
community by releasing the patient against medical procedure.
With
the observed anomalies, the quest for Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state,
to act is now!
No comments:
Post a Comment