The corpse of a middle aged man that died of the dreaded Lassa fever at the National Hospital in Abuja has not be claimed by the deceased’s family two weeks after his death.
According to The Punch report, the delay for the burial was unclear but sources in the hospital stated that the family might have abandoned the corpse ‘because of the manner of the death’.
The deceased who is 33-year-old newly-married man lived in Jos, Plateau state but came to see a relative in Kubwa due to the illness.
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He reportedly died within 24-hour of admission at the National Hospital, Abuja.
An employee of the hospital who pleaded anonymity said: “The information we got was that the family of the deceased patient are scared that they may contract the disease in the process of the burial. Several calls have been put to them but it seems they are not convinced. A lot of work should be done by enlightening them that the body has been decontaminated and is therefore safe and harmless.”
However, the mouthpiece of the National Hospital, Dr. Tayo Haastrup, explained the hospital management was awaiting directive from the Federal Ministry of Health to give proper advice on the corpse.
Haastrup added that the hospital employees were not scared and panicky whenever any suspected case of Lassa fever was brought to the hospital.
He said: “Nobody is running. Our doctors, nurses and medical staff in the Accident and Emergency Department are prepared for any suspected cases of Lassa fever. We are prepared and there is no cause for alarm. All the kits are available.
“The corpse of the dead patient was well bagged as usual and cannot contaminate anybody. We have informed the Federal Ministry of Health. The ministry, through the Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, should advise us appropriately on it. We are waiting for the directive of the ministry.”
