Lassa fever: Employ wives of deceased colleagues, NMA urges Governor

The Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association -NMA, has called on the Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule to offer automatic employment to the wives of their two colleagues who died after attending to a Lassa Fever patient.

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Consultant gynecologists, Dr. Nwaru Victor and Dr. Esa Oga, both working with Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia died after performing surgery on a suspected Lassa fever patient.

The Nasarawa State Chairman of NMA, Dr. Emmanuel Sabo, made the call on Monday in Lafia at a memorial program held in DASH by the association to remember their deceased colleagues.

The NMA Chairman explained that the two colleagues died in the line of duty and service to humanity hence the need for all hands to be on deck to support their families.

He said all of them died in their primes and left behind one wife and four children each.

He also called on the governor to offer scholarships to their children because the employed wives cannot shoulder their upbringing.

“The government should sponsor the children to at least secondary school if not a tertiary institution,” the NMA Chairman added.

He also tasked the government to increase hazard allowances of Doctors in the state to N100,000.

He also called on the government to immediately equip Infectious Diseases Diagnostic and Research Development center Lafia with the necessary facilities to carry out the Lassa Fever test to avoid the repeat of the ugly experience.

Speaking, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) DASH, Dr. Hassan Ikrama, said the loss of the two Doctors was a great one to the hospital.

He said the deceased was highly dedicated to their duties while alive and were good to those that worked with them.

He further said that the hospital is still shocked over their demise and said the vacuum they created can hardly be filled.

The CMD, therefore, prayed to God to give their love once the strength to bear the loss, forgive their shortcomings, and grant them eternal rest.

Okwuego.O