Doctors, nurses quarantined, as Lassa fever kills patient ‎at UBTH

A patient at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, has reportedly died of Lassa fever.

It was learnt that the patient, said to be a male whose identity could not be ascertained, died at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, after a surgery.

Our correspondent also gathered that all ‎the doctors, nurses and other auxiliary staff, who had contact with him at the theatre and ICU

El-Rufai shuts Govt House Clinic, redeploys staff to General Hospitals

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has closed the Government House Clinic and redeployed its medical personnel to public hospitals.

The drugs and equipment in the clinic have also been moved to the Yusuf Dansotho Hospital, Tudun Wada, Kaduna, while Government House staff have been directed to henceforth use the Dansotho Hospital for their medical needs.

Going to the gym may be bad for your health, say scientists

A new study in the United Kingdom warns gym goers may be getting more than they bargain for when they workout.

For it turns out that the equipment may also be exposing them to harmful bacteria.

Each time we touch the treadmill screen or even grab a free weight, we are coming into contact with bacteria that causes pneumonia or septicemia – and even some bugs that are resistant to antibiotics.

Buhari urges doctor to shelve planned strike

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to shelve its threatened strike action and give the Federal Government more time to address the grievances of doctors.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

Tuberculosis hits Anambra, 2,000 hospitalised

No fewer than 2,000 tuberculosis patients are receiving treatment at various Directly Observed Therapy Centres in Anambra State.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, said this in a press briefing in his office in Awka on Monday.

 He added that Anambra State and 13 other states, including FCT, contributed to over 75 per cent of the total TB burden in Nigeria

Resident doctors to commence indefinite strike April 25 – Association

The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) says it has served the Federal Government with a 21-day notice to meet their demands or face an indefinite strike.

Dr Muhammad Askira, President of the association, disclosed this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

Askira said that the ultimatum took effect from April 4.

Osun doctors call off seven months strike

Striking medical doctors in Osun under the aegis of Association of Medical and Dental Officers, on Sunday suspended their seven months industrial action.

The chairman of the association, Dr Isiaka Adekunle confirmed the suspension of the strike in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Osogbo.

He said the doctors would report for duty on Monday..

WHO declares Sierra Leone free of Ebola again

The World Health Organisation has again on Thursday in Geneva declared Sierra Leone free of a recent flare-up of the Ebola virus.

The declaration was marking the second time that western Africa rids itself of Ebola.

It said two incubation cycles of the virus, 42 days, have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the country was tested negative for a second time.

$2.2m transaction: Court remands Ex-NHIS boss in prison

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the remand of a former Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Femi Thomas, in prison for allegedly carrying out a cash transaction in the sum of $2.2m without going through any financial institution.

Also remanded in connection with the alleged crime was a bureau de change operator, Kabiru Sidi.

NYSC MEMBER DIES TREATING LASSA FEVER PATIENT

The National Youth Service Corps has confirmed the death of a corps member, Dr. Kelechi Ogboji.

The medical doctor died after treating a patient suspected of having Lassa fever in Kaduna State.

Until his death, Ogboji, a native of Igweledoha Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was serving at St. Louis Hospital Zonkwa in Zango Kataf Local Government of Kaduna

France records first sexually-transmitted case of Zika

A first case of Zika spread through sexual transmission has been recorded in France after a woman was infected when her partner returned from Brazil, Heath Minister Marisol Touraine told AFP today.

The case was detected several days ago in “a woman who is not pregnant,” the minister told AFP during a visit to French Guiana, confirming earlier information.

Blood Donation Reduces Risk of Heart Attack, Cancer- Expert

Dr Wilfred Ndifon, the Coordinator, National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), Calabar Centre, on Friday, said voluntary blood donation would reduce risk of heart attack by 80 per cent.

Ndifon, who made the assertion in Calabar during a blood donation organised for policemen and officers in the state, also said it would reduce the risk of having cancer.

Strange disease kills 25 children in Lagos

Residents of Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos State, are battling to save their children from a strange disease which has claimed the lives of no fewer than 25 children in the area.

The yet-to-be-identified disease started in January 2016, has brought panic to the Egun community, as the affected children developed rashes similar to measles, and usually died two to three days after.

Health Workers To Begin Nationwide Strike On Wednesday

Health workers are threatening to commence an indefinite strike on Wednesday, over alleged breach of agreements by the Federal Government.

The workers under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations had earlier handed the government a 15-day ultimatum with effect from February 3, 2016 to accede to their 10-point demands or risk nationwide strike.

Kano records three Lassa fever cases

Dr Kabir Getso, Kano State Commissioner for Health, said on Monday in Kano that the state had recorded three confirmed cases of Lassa fever since the outbreak in December, 2015.

Getso who spoke while addressing newsmen, said two of the confirmed cases were recorded in Garun-Malam Local Government Area of the state.

The commissioner said that the patients died at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital

Obama to Request $1.8bn to Fight Zika

The Obama administration has said it will ask the US Congress for $1.8bn (£1.25bn) in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus.

The virus, which is transmitted primarily through mosquitoes, has spread rapidly through the Americas.

It has been linked to a condition called microcephaly, in which babies are born with

Lassa fever: Death toll hits 101

The Lassa fever outbreak in the country has killed 101 people, as West Africa battles to contain a flare-up of the virus, according to data from the nation’s health authorities yesterday.

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) statistics showed that reported cases of the hemorrhagic disease — confirmed and suspected — stood at 175 with a total of 101 deaths since August.

Avoid blood donations from people in Zika areas – WHO

The World Health Organisation on Thursday advised countries against accepting blood donations from people who had travelled to regions affected by the Zika virus

With the risk of incidence of new infections of Zika virus in many countries, and the potential linkage of the Zika virus infection with microcephaly and other clinical consequence, it is estimated as an appropriate precautionary measure

Zika virus spreads to Europe

The mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to a surge in births of babies with abnormally small heads, has spread to Europe.

According to the Times of India, a Danish national has tested positive for the virus after travelling to South and Central America, where thousands of people have been affected by the illness that poses a particular threat to pregnant women.

Family abandons Lassa fever victim’s corpse in National Hospital

About two weeks after his death, the corpse of the patient that died of Lassa fever is still at the National Hospital in Abuja and yet to be buried.

Although the details of the delay for the burial were still sketchy, a source in the hospital said the family might have abandoned the corpse “because of the manner of the death.”

The 33-year-old newly-married man lived in Jos