Family alleges poor care at Lagos hospital

Relatives of a patient infected with Lassa Fever- an acute viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or infected persons, have lamented poor treatment and management at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba, Lagos State.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Olaitan Ale said the patient had arrived Lagos from Akure, Ondo State where she was referred to a private hospital in Surulere area of the city before she was confirmed to be infected with Lassa fever.

Mr Ale said the patient was immediately discharged by the private hospital while the family made arrangements to transfer the patient, a mother of a newborn, to IDH “since it is a designated hospital for infectious disease.”

“But since Wednesday when we reported at the IDH, apart from isolating the patients and the relatives exposed to the infection at a ward, we had to purchase all medications needed,” Mr Ale said.

He added that medication recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the infection treatment could not be found in Lagos and that the family had to travel to as far as Nasarawa State to procure one.

But the hospital management has denied any wrongdoing, saying it is doing its best to give proper care to the infected.

More on allegations

According to Mr Ale the patient who recently had a child, developed a fever in Akure, Ondo State, and was treated for malaria but her condition deteriorated from “abdominal pain to chest pain and her oxygen level dropped.”

She was later referred from Ondo State to Marigold Hospital, Surulere from where she was transferred to IDH Yaba when she tested positive for the Lassa fever virus.

Ondo State is currently leading on the log of Lassa fever infections in Nigeria, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Mr Ale told PREMIUM TIMES that when they got to IDH, there were “no dialysis facility, oxygen, and other medications”.

“Now the sad part is that the WHO-approved drug for Lassa fever, Ribavirin injection or intravenous fluid is not available in Lagos State. They said the one they have has expired,” Mr Ale said.

He also claimed that the critically ill patient and her 10-day-old baby were isolated in a room alongside a 65-year-old grandmother and her mother-in-law who is in her 70s without adequate care.

“We reached out to LUTH and other hospitals in Lagos but we couldn’t find the drug,” he said, adding that “they simply confided in us that if you can get the medicine, then get it.”

He said that one of the relatives of the patient had to go to Nasarawa State from Lagos early Thursday morning to get the drug.

NCDC Lassa Fever guidelines

According to the NCDC National Guidelines for Lassa Fever management, it is considered an alert case if a person has an unexplained fever (i.e. malaria and other common causes of fever have been ruled out), with or without bleeding.

Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, according to CDC, has been used with success in Lassa fever patients. It is most effective when given early in the course of the illness.

Management speaks

When contacted, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of IDH Yaba, Bowale Abimbola, confirmed the Lassa fever case but failed to respond to the allegations.

While Mr Bowale directed this reporter to the state’s ministry of health for further information on the matter, he said the hospital has attended to the patients.

“Well, I’m a civil servant and I am not supposed to give any… It will be better for you to speak with either the permanent secretary or the honourable commissioner for health. But we are giving the patient the best care. That is all I can tell you,” Mr Abimbola said.

READ ALSO: Lassa Fever: Nigeria records two deaths, 39 infections in one week

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Olusegun Ogboye, who confirmed that he was aware of the imported case from another state, said he could not comment until he is properly briefed and that he would revert to this newspaper on the matter.

However, as of the time of filing this report, Mr Ogboye neither reverted to PREMIUM TIMES nor answered the call to his telephone line.

Lassa fever cases in Nigeria

According to the latest NCDC situation report, in 2023, Nigeria recorded 144 deaths with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.5 per cent as of 26 March 2023.

It noted that 4,108 suspected cases and 823 confirmed infections have been recorded in 24 states across 98 Local Government Areas as of 2023.

72 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases in 2023 were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi.

Of the confirmed cases, Ondo State reported 32 per cent, followed by Edo and Bauchi with 29 and 11 per cent respectively.

About Lassa Fever

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.

Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.