Pandemonium broke out on Friday at Ginger International
Secondary School located in Hausa quarters, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, as
12 students were hospitalized after receiving drugs administered by the school
management.
The drugs, it was learnt, were supplied by the Abakaliki
local government, where the school is situated. While 10 students were being revived at the accident and
emergency ward of the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA11), two were
in the police clinic of the state Police Command also in Abakaliki.
The Accident and Emergency Unit of the FETHA11 was besieged
on Saturday by their relatives who were anxious to ascertain their present
condition. According to investigations, the drugs administered on the
students who are aged between 12 and 15 are said to be anti-hermetic tablets
which health experts say are for deworming treatment.
One of the parents, Bilkisu Ahmed, alleged that the drugs
were imposed on her daughter by the teacher. Another parent, Sam Igwe, also said the administration of
the drugs on his child was done without his consent.
The chief medical director of the hospital, Emeka Onwe, said
that sample of the drugs had been collected and sent to the National Agency for
Food, Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC) for analysis while the condition
of the affected students was improving.
The state commissioner for education, John Eke, described
the incident as “embarrassing”. He said the State government would come up with a policy
that would make it mandatory for school managements to secure the permission of
the ministry before administering drugs on students and pupils.
Police spokesman, George Okafor, said the proprietor and
head of the school had been arrested for interrogation. Efforts to get the reaction of the school proprietor failed
as he was said to be under police custody.
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