With over 101 deaths recorded to the recent outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Yakasai revealed that the Society is properly geared in the fight against Lassa fever outbreak to ensure that Nigerians are protected.
“As usual, in line with protocol, the World Health Organisations (WHO) and other donor agencies have been briefed. We have had to contend with public health emergencies; we have conditioned our nation with a health system that thrives on ad-hoc measures rather than build structures, which are both enduring and sustainable.”
“The fundamental problem with our health system appears to be the unfortunate emphasis on curative rather than preventive healthcare. The norm in every civilised or evolving clime is to nurture and build a virile as well as viable primary healthcare model, which embraces the utilisation of the skills, expertise and hands-on experience of all healthcare professionals and workers. To the detriment of consumers in our nation, the culture and philosophy of primary healthcare has been continually jeopardised and almost destroyed.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“In the active days of deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the erstwhile leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health promised more proactive measures to actualise the primary care concept, which the National Health Act has legitimised. Typical of us, we have waited for another epidemic called Lassa fever, a recurrent annual epidemic to emerge as a reality and public health emergency, before coming up with vintage reactionary slogans,” he said.
