BEVERLY HILLS, February 01, (THEWILL) – A student nurse, who got infected with Lassa fever, has been discharged from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, where she had received treatment.
This has earned certificates of excellence in service to a nurse, Mrs Adejoke Awotona, and others who worked with her, for promptly responding to the student nurse.
The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, while addressing journalists disclosed that The 19-year old student of the FETHI’s School of Nursing was rushed to the hospital a couple of weeks ago, having contracted Lassa fever but is now free of the virus.
“This student nurse was rushed into this hospital with high fever, bleeding from orifices. We wanted to reject her because we don’t have the medical kits to undertake treatment here. But because we heeded the Minister’s directive not to transport Lassa fever patients, we immediately swung into action,” Ayodele said.
“Today, we have recorded a success story. The lady has tested negative to the virus and she has been discharged. We were able to achieve this feat because of the determination of our nurses and doctors.”
Ayodele also pleaded with the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to reward the medical team and designate the centre as a nationally recognised Management Centre.
“For anybody to lay down his life in spite of the poor facilities to treat the infection here, he deserves to be compensated, even if it is just presidential handshake,” Ayodele added.
He revealed that the management of the hospital had decided to punish doctors who failed to join the medical team, over fears of contracting the virus, for alleged professional misconduct adding that the patient was discharged after a post-treatment diagnosis at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State.
Responding, on receiving the certificate, Awotona appealed to government to increase the hazard allowance for medical workers to encourage them while pledging commitment to work.
“If we have more terrible situation, we are ready to take the risk. But the government must take us into consideration. They must increase our hazard allowance and also pay us rural allowance, because Ido Ekiti itself is still a rural setting,” she said.
Story by David Oputah
