To contain the spread of Lassa Fever in the state, the Rivers state government has recieved 3,000 units of Ribervirin drugs in capsules and injections from the Federal Ministry of Health.

This was disclosed to newsmen in Port Harcourt by the state commissioner for Health, Dr Theophillus Odagme. He said the ministry has started distributing the drugs to all hospitals across the state.

The commissioner also disclosed that lassa fever treatment is free across the state and that the ministry was collaborating with the state Primary Healthcare Management Board to carry out a community outreach to sensitise people at the local communities on prevention and treatment measures.

In his words “Health personnel and doctors at the Braithwaite Specialist Memorial Hospital, and health centres, across the state including those at the Government Clinic, have already undergone training and workshop on handling lassa fever.”

He expressed happiness that there is no new case of the lassa fever presently in the state, adding that the doctor who treated the two patients that died had already tested negative to two different tests in Port Harcourt and Lagos, respectively.