Medical Doctor Died From Lassa Fever Contraction In Jos Hospital!
Reported by Marian opeyemi Fasesan (Editor -in- chief) | Sele Media Africa
A medical doctor at Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BHUTH) has died after contracting Lassa fever while treating an infected patient.
The deceased, Dr. Salome Oboyi, was a senior resident doctor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the hospital. She reportedly succumbed to the viral infection after battling the illness for several days.
Confirming the incident to journalists in Jos, the Chief Medical Director of BHUTH, Professor Stephen Anzaku, explained that Dr. Oboyi contracted the disease while attending to a Lassa fever patient who was brought in as an emergency case.
According to him, the doctor performed surgery on the patient about two weeks ago before there was a clinical suspicion of Lassa fever. Shortly after the procedure, she began to show symptoms, promptly reported herself to the hospital, and was immediately admitted for treatment.
Despite medical intervention and intensive care, she eventually died.Professor Anzaku described the incident as the hospital’s first loss of a staff member to Lassa fever in over four decades, noting that the late doctor was highly dedicated and deeply cherished.
“We have never lost a staff member here in over 40 years until now. Sadly, we have lost a very committed and beloved doctor,” he said. “She operated on the patient who came in as an emergency. It was after the surgery that suspicion arose. When she later developed symptoms, we began treatment immediately.
“We received strong support, including necessary drugs from the Plateau State Ministry of Health. She was managed for almost two weeks, but unfortunately, she passed on,” he added.
Professor Anzaku described her death as a painful and irreplaceable loss, praising her professionalism, dedication, and selfless service to patients.Meanwhile, the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicolas Boomlang, also confirmed the doctor’s death and disclosed that the state is currently experiencing a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever.
He revealed that two additional deaths were recorded in Kanam and Shendam Local Government Areas in February 2026. He added that the state government, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has intensified disease surveillance, case management, and public sensitisation efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
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