The Ondo State Government has taken delivery of three brand new factory built ambulances and medical consumables to intensify the fight against Lassa fever disease in the state.

The items were received on behalf of the state government by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro on Saturday, 15th June, 2019.

The medical items including the three ambulances were donated to the state Government by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the Healthier Niger Delta initiative of the commission.

Dr. Adegbenro who described the donation as a welcome development said it will assist the government to continue to fight Lassa fever in the state.

While appreciating the NDDC for the kind gesture, the commissioner said that the fact that the cost of treating a patient of Lassa fever is as high as N1.6M necessitated that the state sought help from agencies.

He said ” The government is doing a lot. Right now we have an Infection Disease Hospital (IDH) in Akure which is built to tackle diseases including Lassa fever. At FMC, Owo which is currently our treatment center, we now have a mobile laboratory that can do diagnosis for us in real time. Before now, we use to go to Edo everyday to take sample and you know that’s alot of money

“In the area of follow up because we have to follow cases up. We monitor them and their contacts either primary, secondary and tertiary contacts. They have to be monitored. Our system is such that there are some officers that routinely go out to monitor contacts and do contact tracer because any primary, secondary or tertiary contact with a confirm case of Lassa fever would have to be monitored for 21 days before we let them off the hook

“So, it’s a lot of money that government is spending on Lassa fever and that’s why we are very grateful to NDDC for coming to our aid because, some few months ago when we had this issue, we wrote to many organizations to come to our aid but, thank God NDDC responded and they have responded very well. “

Dr. Adegbenro who noted that the state government has been fighting lassa fever in the state, stressed that the government would intensify the fight against the disease with the medical items that have been received from the NDDC.

“We have been fighting lassa fever but with greater vigour now, we can fight Lassa fever. With these three ambulances donated, we can move now, we can take cases from where they are because we have designated numbers that people can call when they suspect cases. ” He added.