Abakaliki – The Ebonyi State Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has called on the Federal Government to urgently commission the virology diagnostic centre it built for the South-East Zone.
The Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr Chidi Esike, made the call on Saturday in Abakaliki at a sensitisation workshop for doctors on Prevention and Management of Hypertension, Diabetes and Cardiac-Related Diseases.
He said that the recent deaths and Lassa fever problems recorded in the state could have been prevented if a virology diagnostic centre was in the South-East Zone.
“We are now faced with the situation of taking patients to Irrua in Edo State where the facility is provided and this compounds the already complex situation.
“The relations of these patients are also supposed to be tested and taking all of them to Irrua is most tasking and militates against the fight to combat the disease,” he said.
The NMA branch chairman noted that the 25 deaths recorded from the disease in the state from 2005 was underestimated as there were several unrecorded deaths.
“We do not actually know the accurate number as there are people who have died, especially in the rural areas, that were not recorded,” he said.
Dr Kennedy Otti, Senior Registrar in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, described the workshop as timely.
“We have to urgently train doctors to be aware of all facts about these diseases and ways of handling modern technologies used in their treatment.
“This will help them in effectively counseling and treating patients with much emphasis placed on prevention of the disease.”
Otti, a former Vice-Chairman of the NMA in Ebonyi, called on doctors and patients to regularly engage in exercises in order to keep fit.
“Due to the nature of work of doctors, they hardly exercise, even to cook which exposes them to eating junk foods.
“Individuals are also advised to totally abstain from the intake of alcohol or moderate such intake, to prevent its effects on body metabolisms,” he said.
A participant at the workshop, Dr Chinwe Ononye, commended the organisers, noting that she had been better equipped to attend to patients. (NAN)