Panic over death of suspected Lassa fever patient

– Sudden death of patient causes panic in Kano
– Traders scamper for safety
– Ministry of Health yet to ascertain cause of death




There was a pandemonium at the entrance of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Murtala Muhammad General Hospital in Kano Monday evening, January 25, when a patient slumped and died on the street, a situation that threw the entire surrounding into commotion as he was said to have died of the dreaded Lassa fever disease.
The incident happened as he was being assisted to reach the hospital entrance which had been over taken by petty traders, touts and commercial try-cyclist operators, popularly known as Keke Napep.
The patient who was diagnosed with severe fever gave up the ghost owing to the difficulty in getting easy access into the hospital and as he was being escorted by his relatives.
Immediately he slumped at the entrance, security guards enquired to know the cause of his sudden collapse which was relayed to them as severe fever. Soon after getting the hint, they cleared the busy entrance and people deserted the area.
Commotion and pandemonium ensured as petty traders that hardly allowed any access into the hospital entrance hurriedly left their stands without caring to pack their wares.
When contacted, the director of communicable diseases of the State Ministry of Health Tijjani Kabir confirmed the death of the patient saying that it was still a suspected case but was however quick to add that samples of his blood will be sent to either Edo state or Lagos Sate University Teaching Hospital for analysis as the facilities in the state are not adequate to verify the status of the dead patients.
He then appealed to the public to regularly report any symptoms of ailments to nearby Hospitals for early diagnosis.
Management of the Murtala Muhammad Hospital have however, barricaded the spot where the patient died while normalcy has returned to the Hospital and its surroundings.
Meanwhile, following the recent outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria that has left at least 76 people dead and sparked fears of contagion, there has been a rise in the sales of rat poison.