UCH Records First Case Of Lassa Fever

The University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan on Thursday announced that it had recorded its first case of Lassa fever.

Confirming this while briefing journalists on his one year in office, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Temitope Alonge, said two suspected cases were brought to the hospital

Alonge said one case was confirmed in the hospital while the second case was discovered to be negative after clinical test.

He said that the hospital had enough drugs to treat patients with the ailment which had been reported in about 12 states.

Alonge said the UCH had also established a 24 -hour helpline for members of the public where they could call doctors in case of illness or emergency cases.

Speaking on recruitment, he said a total of 451 new staff were employed in the last one year by the hospital.

Alonge said further that a greater number of those employed were medical and allied staff.

He further announced the commencement of operations of UCH Ventures, an outfit set up to generate alternative revenue for the health institution

.“We now have two concrete block-making industries and a rejuvenated bakery,” Alonge said.

Apart from the two outfits, he said that a bottle water making factory would be set up soon.

“ All of these and many more are geared toward reducing our over-dependence on subvention from government,” Alonge said.

He also expressed worry over the increasing cases of heart diseases, especially stroke, among young Nigerians.

The increase, he added, could be the a result of poverty among Nigerians and the refusal to follow correct prescriptions.

Alonge said he was planning to evolve a proposal on the establishment of a separate and independent stroke unit to treat patients.