No fewer than 50 patients have been confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, from an outbreak of Lassa fever in Taraba State.
The Head of Clinical Services at the hospital, Dr Suleiman Abubakar Kirim, in an interview with journalists, described the development as the most severe outbreak.
According to him, a total of 226 suspected cases were admitted at the facility, out of which 95 were laboratory-confirmed.
He said that out of the confirmed cases, 50 patients died, while 20 others have been successfully treated and discharged.
Dr. Kirim said that new cases are still being reported and that the current situation represents the highest number of suspected cases and fatalities recorded by the centre in recent years.
He was confident that the rate of infection would decline with the onset of the rainy season, explaining that Lassa fever transmission is typically higher during the dry season.
The hospital management said that recently introduced service packs are aimed at ensuring standardisation, efficiency, safety, and accountability in healthcare delivery.
The management emphasised that, in the context of recurring infectious, disease outbreaks such as Lassa fever, the importance of controlled and structured healthcare systems cannot be overstated.
It noted that the service pack system is not unique to FMC Jalingo but is a standard practice in leading tertiary institutions across Nigeria, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.
It said that similar systems are also used in advanced health systems in countries such as Ghana, the United States, India, and South Africa.
According to the management, service packs play a critical role in infection prevention and control by ensuring the availability of sterile and properly structured consumables.
“The absence of properly structured and sterile consumables, or reliance on repeatedly handled materials, increases the risk of transmission to healthcare workers and other patients, with potentially severe public health consequences.
“Service packs therefore serve as a frontline safeguard for both patients and medical personnel.”
