The Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has asked Nigerian health workers to maintain vigilance against infectious diseases, even with the country’s Ebola free certification.

 

Ogunsola also urged them to continue to engage proper screening mechanism in their health facilities.

 

The medic made the appeal at a train-the-trainer programme organised by the Lagos Business School and the Yale University, United States in Lagos.

 

No fewer than 200 Nigerian healthcare workers participated in the training.

 

According to Ogunsola, though Nigeria has received EVD free certification; there was the need for health workers to remain vigilant as, according to her, the virus has a history of resurgence.

 

She said, “Every patient is considered infectious because something brought him to the hospital. Do not touch the patient even to check his or her temperature. Keep a triage desk at the entrance of your health facility. There is the need to keep thermometer in a cup with 0.5 per cent hypochlorite and rinsed with water before using it again.”

 

 

Ogunsola also advised participants not to use reconstituted hypochlorite, and disinfectant, after 24 hours.

 

According to her, it is best if a reconstituted hypochlorite is kept in a sealed container as it can lose its potency even within 24 hours.

 

In his lecture, Michael Capello, a public health director, Yale World fellows, urged the participants to observe contact time while disinfecting and sterilising medical equipment.

 

According to him, some liquid disinfectants, such as alcohol and sodium hypochlorite do not work against every microorganism.

 

“It is not only crucial to clean and disinfect surfaces and items but also wait for the proper contact time. Disinfectant does not work immediately. It is better to use autoclave indicators to determine contact time,’’ he said.

 

The Coordinator of the programme, Dr. Henrietta Onyegbuzie, in her remarks, said the training was fallout of the EVD outbreak in Nigeria.

 

“The aim is to ensure that we have knowledgeable workers in our hospitals. We would have been in trouble if Dr. Stella Adadevoh were not able to suspect the index case. Apart from that, she knew what to do to isolate the patient. We want to have more Adadevohs in our hospitals,’’ she said.

 

BY FOLASHADE ADEBAYO