FG moves to contain lassa fever in Oyo

The Federal Ministry of Health has dispatched its Emergency Response team to contain the recent outbreak of lassa fever in Oyo State.

The Minister of State and Supervising Minister for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, said this when he paid an unscheduled visit to some tertiary health facilities in Abuja.

Dr. Alhassan said his visit was one of his strategies aimed at getting to know more about various challenges being faced by the hospitals so as to nip them in the bud.

This, he added, will boost the morale of health workers and possibly reposition the health sector for better service delivery.

The Minister commended the management and staff of the National Hospital for taking the welfare of patients seriously.

He also reminded them to continue to sensitise the public on the Ebola Virus Disease by displaying relevant stickers around the hospital.

Speaking on the ongoing strike by the National Union of Health Professionals, Alhassan said that the strike action is a breach of the negotiation on the part of the Union because discussion between the government and the union is still on and as such the strike action is uncalled for.

Earlier, the Medical Director of the National Hospital, Dr. Jack Momoh, lamented the shortage of health personnel faced by the hospital.

To this, the minister said he will mobilize for additional health personnel to beef-up the workforce.

The hospitals visited were The National Hospital; the Federal Staff Medical Centre, Jabi; and the General Hospital, Maitama.