Some Nigerians physicians are struggling ton cope with the fatal irony that has befallen one of their colleagues -Dr Samuel Nyityo Tagher – who has died from Lassa fever.
They are lamenting his passage while recalling good times they shared.
Tagher was an official of the World Health Organisation and was said to have been referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State, where he later died.
Reports said two other doctors were killed by Lassa fever but the Benue State Government has refuted this.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Benue State, Dr Joseph Ngbea, said, “Only Dr Nyityo died. Nobody is in a critical position. The other person is in a stable condition.
“For Lassa fever, the vector is rat. For the doctor, we discovered that last year, two people had Lassa fever in his compound. This means that there is a species of rat that moves around in that area and poaches on people’s food. People should stop the idea of keeping food outside on the ground and people should be discouraged from eating rat.
“People should also keep away anything that would encourage rats to enter their homes. Those are the preventive measures. Apart from that, people should also see the doctor if they have a fever,”
Among the colleagues who have mourned the deceased are Gabriel Shema and Joyce Agu.
