12 Ebonyi Students Hospitalised After Taking Worm Drug

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, June 19th, 2016

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Abkaliki

ABAKALIKI, EGONYI STATE (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The police in Ebonyi state south east Nigeria, Weekend confirmed that 12 students of Ginger International School based in the state had been hospitalised after taking anti-hermetic tablets.

According to the state police public Relations officer, PPRO, George Okafor, who made this known saturday, the drugs were administered on the affected students by the school authority.

He said that the proprietor and head of the school had been invited for interrogation.

Okafor added: “We are going to investigate the matter thoroughly to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident,”

It was gathered that the students became partially unconscious after being administered with the said drugs.

Our Correspondent learnt that the students were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHA) Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, and Police clinic in the state for medical attention.

Meanwhile, anxious relative of the students age between 12-15, have continued to besiege the Accident and Emergency Unit of FETHA, where majority of them were admitted to ascertain their condition.

The drugs African Examiner gathered is used for de-worming.

Chief Medical Director of FETHA, Dr. Emeka Ogah, disclosed that the drug sample had been collected and sent to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for analysis.

He said: “The students are responding to treatment as we would do our best to get them fit again,” he said.

Reacting to the development, the state Commissioner of Education, Professor. John Eke, described the incident as embarrassing.

“The state government would come up with a policy that would make it mandatory for school managements to secure approval from the ministry before administering drugs on pupils and students.’’.

Also commenting on the issue, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike,said that the drugs were donated by one of the foreign development partners of the state which had been assisting in disease eradication.

“These drugs are administered intermittently to de-worm students.

He assure the members of the public that the incident would be thoroughly investigated by relevant bodies.