John Charles
The Benue State Government has ordered the closure of a private hospital and mortuary in Okpokwu Local Government Area following the death of a 54-year-old woman who tested positive for Lassa fever.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, who disclosed this in Makurdi on Thursday, noted that the decision was part of an emergency containment measure to avert secondary infections and ensure full decontamination of the affected facility.
He said all hospital staff and individuals who had direct or indirect contact with the deceased had been traced and placed under medical surveillance.
Ogwuche explained that the woman, a resident of Ogbadibo LGA, died on Sunday at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where laboratory analysis confirmed she was positive for Lassa fever.
Her remains were subsequently taken to a private morgue in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu LGA.
However, the commissioner said the containment team encountered resistance when some agitated youths from the deceased’s community forcefully took away the corpse during burial preparations.
“As initial response efforts, I personally led a high-powered delegation of health officials and security operatives to the two LGAs to ensure public safety, containment, and restoration of order,” Ogwuche said.
He added, “During the initial response, the Ministry’s Rapid Response Team was confronted by some agitated youths while trying to conduct a safe burial. Through intensive dialogue with the family, traditional rulers, and youth leaders, the body was successfully retrieved and safely buried in Orokam (Ogbadibo LGA) by the State Safe Burial Team, in line with WHO and NCDC protocols.”
Ogwuche said the body was finally interred on Wednesday under strict supervision, while the private hospital and morgue where it was kept have been shut down pending disinfection and epidemiological investigation.
“All community and facility contacts have been identified, and health education sessions have been conducted across Ogbadibo and Okpokwu LGAs to enhance awareness, promote hygiene, and prevent panic,” he said, stressing that “public health safety is our top priority.”
The commissioner commended the cooperation of local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and security operatives, warning that the government would not tolerate actions capable of endangering public health.
He appealed to residents to refrain from handling corpses of persons who die from suspected infectious diseases and to promptly report any cases of prolonged fever or unexplained bleeding to the nearest health facility.
Lassa fever has been a recurring challenge in Benue State.
In September, the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Asema Msuega, reported 243 suspected cases since January 2025, with 13 deaths recorded, including that of a health worker. Of these, 18 cases were confirmed through laboratory testing.
Msuega had said, “Of the deaths, five were from confirmed cases while eight were classified as probable. Probable deaths are those of persons suspected to have Lassa fever who died before samples could be taken.”
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