Doctor Who Died Of Lassa Fever While Treating 7 Months Old Buried In Kogi

"YES DOCTORS ARE HEROES.

They are humans too and they don't have a different DNA.

The remains of Dr. Ahmed Victor Idowu has been committed to mother earth at Okene Cemetery. The young promising doctor met his untimely death in the line of duty.

Dr Ahmed Victor Idowu was said to have contracted the deadly Lassa Fever virus after a woman brought her 7 months old baby who was having a febrile illness for expert management at Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja where he secured his housemanship.

Ahmed was a graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2016). He started his housejob last year at the FMC Lokoja, Kogi State. He was the doctor on call last week at the FMC, Lokoja in the Paediatrics unit (Children's ward) where he contracted the  Lassa fever virus.

He died taking a risk and showing compassion for a sick child. If he had refused to see the baby, he would have been punished with extra call duties, society would have called him heartless, he would have been reminded that he took a oath. When his colleagues go on strike demanding proper equipping of the hospitals and structuring of the medical sector, the society is quick to call them names.

Lassa fever and some other viral infections have been with us for a while but what specific guidelines have been established to prevent a reoccurrence? And if they do reoccur, how are  these cases detected and managed appropriately?

What PPEs have been made available to the health workers? Worse case scenario, can these PPEs be made available for doctors to buy for themselves?

How many centres do we have where PCR can be done? Can't these PCR centres be scattered all over the country?

How many more people need to die before we get proactive?

Now Ahmed and many others have gone and their names will not be remembered, no national (not even local government) honors.

By Usen Usen