Like a thief in the night, a
strange disease crept into the midst of students at the Federal Girls College,
Efon Alaaye, leaving in its wake 300 sick students and 30 in critical condition
in hospital beds. The beautiful landscape of Efon-Aalaye, a serene
agrarian community with a population of 158,977 was thrown into frenzy as panic
gripped the sleepy community.
The hospital, which had hitherto
been in permanent state of sedation, all of a sudden became a beehive of
activities, since the epidemic hit the town. Doctors, Nurses and all other
health attendants became very busy attending to large crowd of sickly youth.
Concerns generated
How the disease, which is yet to
be ascertained whether cholera, crept into the Federal Government Girls
College, Efon Alaye in Ekiti State, affecting student population of about 700,
still remained a source of worry to the school authority and health officials
in the state.
Since the news of the
hospitalisation of schoolgirls who were reported to be exhibiting symptoms such
as stooling, vomiting, weakness of the body became public, the management of
the school and leadership of the school’s Parents Teachers Association phones
had been busy with calls from concerned parents and guardians.
Sources at the school disclosed
that some students started showing signs of the sickness on October 10 by
vomiting and stooling uncontrollably and when the matter was going beyond what
the school could manage, the principal, Mrs Grace Ogunyomi, was said to have
reported the case to the Ekiti state government on Wednesday, October 21,
through the Ministry of Health for prompt action.
The source, who pleaded anonymity
revealed that the students were not infected at the same time, but were taken
to the hospital in batches for test and medication, adding that as soon as they
were given medication they showed sign of recovery, they were taken back to
school, but some of them whose cases were critical were asked to stay back.
The source said samples of food
and water being consumed by the students were taken for laboratory analysis,
but “ the result showed that the source of the problem is not the food or water
they consumed.”
When Vanguard visited
the school which is about an hour drive from the state capital last Friday for
update, the Principal, Mrs Grace Ogunyomi, was not available for comment and
none of the other principal officers was ready to volunteer information.
But a senior teacher, who pleaded
not to be quoted described the report of outbreak of epidemic as “over bloated
and outrageous. He said,”It’s true that a few of our students were
vomiting and stooling but not more than 25 of them were taken to the General
Hospital, Efon Alaaye and were discharged same day.
“Some health officials from the
state Ministry of Health, led by the Commissioner for Health, World Health
Organisation, local government health officials came to assess the situation.
They inspected the hostels, kitchen, our sick bay and all the areas that needed
to be inspected and they were satisfied that everything was okay. They even
took samples of the water, food, stool of the students for laboratory analysis
and the report indicated negative.
“So, we were surprised when we
read in the newspapers that 300 students were hospitalised. We have been
receiving several calls and text messages from concerned members of the public
to confirm the report. It seems someone is trying to tarnish the image of the
school for the reason best known to them.”
He said the health officials, who
came with some drugs for use of the students, also the tutored them on how to
improve on their personal hygiene and live a healthy life.
No cause for alarm, says PTA
Also the Chairman, and PRO of the
school’s PTA, Mr. Omoniyi Gbenga and Mr. Saanu Fasusi respectively, spoke in
the same vein saying the report was “blown out of proportion.” The PRO,
who claimed that he had two daughters in the school, recalled that on the
fateful day, he received a call from the school’s principal that his elder
daughter, who is in JS3, was vomiting and stooling.
“On getting there, I noticed she
had been treated but later I heard that some students were being taken to the
sick bay, about 25 of them, were later rushed to the General Hospital for
treatment in two ambulances and brought back immediately.
He lamented that its quite
unfortunate that parents have been calling from different parts of the country
and worried that three hundred of our girls have been hospitalised. My two
daughters are hale and hearty and all our students are now in class for their
normal academic works.”
The PTA chairman said since the
report broke out, he had been shuttling between the school at Efon and Ado to
ensure that things are done properly. He added, “All the things in the
newspapers and on radio are exagerated. I just want to assure our parents that
there is no cause for alarm, the situation has been brought under control.
Only 31 were hospitalised on
Tuesday but discharged as soon as they were treated and none is on admission
now.” The Medical Director of Efon Alaaye General Hospital, Dr. Akintoye
Adewole, when contacted at the hospital for comment, said the principal of the
college called him on the telephone that some of the students were stooling,
vomiting and complaining of abnominal pain.
“On arrival at the sick bay, I
saw about 200 of them but some have been treated, those with severe cases, 32
of them, were rushed to the hospital in ambulances.
Government to the rescue
“Because of their large number we
had to sought out beds. Initially, we were suspecting cholera, contaminated
water or contaminated food. We placed them on fluid, gave them antibiotics and
other drugs and within 24 hours, they were okay. We called the Ministry of
Health, they came and collected samples of what they could use for laboratory analysis
to determine the cause of the ailment and the result is being awaited.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry
of Health, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi , who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for
Health, Dr Olurotimi Ojo disclosed that Governor Ayodele Fayose had ordered the
commissioner to deploy professionals and drugs to help in arresting the spread
of the epidemic.
She also allayed the fear being
exhibited by parents, saying it was a gastrointestinal infection popularly
called diarrhea and not cholera. Vanguard gathered that what
the teachers had earlier suspected was that their food and water might have
been contaminated, leading to outbreak of the epidemic in the school.
Dr Ojo said the Ministry of
Health had brought in environmental health officials, while many professionals
are still being deployed to nip the crisis in the bud.
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