A Lassa fever survivor, Dr. Ernest Agbata, has expressed concern over the number of patients in the South East zone that troop to the virology center in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to receive Lassa fever treatment and advocated for the establishment of virology centers in all states of the zone to reduce the plight of people outside Ebonyi.
Dr. Agbata, who is also the medical director of Agbata Memorial Hospital, Adani Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State, described Lassa fever as highly endemic and attributed the high number of deaths recorded to lack of early diagnosis.
He spoke at a Lassa fever case management training organised by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation in Abakaliki.
Dr. Agbata during the training called for adequate sensitisation of health workers in the states of the federation to enable them be abreast with the early signs and symptoms of the disease and how to commence early treatment.