NMA laments heavy workload in Nasarawa as doctor dies of Lassa fever

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says one of its members, identified as Ahmed Isaiah, has died of Lassa fever.

According to NAN, Peter Attah, NMA chairman in Nasarawa, said Isaiah died at the National Hospital in Abuja on December 31, 2022.

Attah said the illness started like a fever, adding that the deceased was still working despite battling an ailment.

He said the General Hospital in Garaku area of the state where the deceased worked had only two medical doctors attending to residents.

He added that a post-mortem confirmed that the doctor died of Lassa fever.

“As an association, we got information when he was already dead, but from our investigation, the sickness started like fever, but he kept working even when he was on treatment,” he said.

“While on call on December 24, 2022, he collapsed at the theatre while carrying out surgery on a patient and his family had to rush him to the National Hospital, Abuja.

“Unfortunately, we lost him.

“How can only two doctors handle an entire local government area of more than 150,000 population? Obviously, the workload was too much.

“Government should employ more doctors and introduce incentives to curtail brain drain in the state.”

The NMA chairman also asked the government to commence payment of call duty and hazard allowances for doctors in the state.

Meanwhile, members of the NMA in the state, were said to have organised a procession for the deceased on Tuesday in Lafia, the Nasarawa capital.