12 Students In Hospital After Taking Worm Expeller

The Police in Ebonyi has
confirmed that 12 students of Ginger International School in the state have been hospitalised after they were administered with drugs by the school authority.
Our correspondent reports that the students became partly unconscious after being administered with the drugs.
They were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FETHA) Abakaliki, and Police clinic in the state for immediate medical attention.
DSP George Okafor, the command’s spokesman, who confirmed the incident said that the proprietor and head of the school had been invited for questioning.
“We are going to investigate the matter thoroughly to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that anxious relatives of the students were at the “Accident and Emergency Unit of FETHA,’’ where majority of them were admitted to ascertain their condition.
Sources said the anti-hermetic tablets which expert said were used for de-worming was administered on the students, aged between 12 and 15 years.
Mr Sam Igwe and Mrs Bilikisu Ahmed, parents of some of the victims alleged that the drugs were administered on their wards without their consent.
Chief Medical Director of FETHA, Dr Emeka Ogah, said that the drug sample had been collected and sent to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for analysis.
“The students are responding to treatment as we would do our best to get them fit again,” he said.
The State Commissioner for Education Prof. 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,’’ he said.
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 but we assure the public that the incident would be investigated and situation brought under control,” he said.