Queens College epidemic: 1,222 fall sick

Over 1,222 students of Queens College (QC) in Yaba, Lagos State have been reportedly treated at the school’s clinic for abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

In a report by SaharaReporters, a recent laboratory report shows that since the beginning of January 2017, several students of the institution have been treated for various pipe borne water and other diseases.

The report further claims that 16 students have been admitted to various hospitals in the country, with one currently in the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

A statement released by Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, the president-general of Unity Schools’ old students’ association, has also corroborated the claims. 

Odinkalu claimed that a recent analysis carried out has shown that the water sources in the school are contaminated by different forms of e-coli and salmonella pathogens. 

It further added that 23 of the 40 kitchen workers have tested positive for amoebiasis, 3 positive for salmonella and one positive for a tapeworm infection.

“The analysis also indicates that the boreholes that provide principal sources of water for the school are too shallow and too close in proximity to the sewage systems, to which the contamination has been traced,” the statement read.

The school under the administration of Lami Amodu, came under public scrutiny when two of its students, Vivian Osuinyi and Bithia Itulua were reported dead as a result of the school's unhealthy and unhygienic environment.

Osuinyi died on February 15, 2017 while Itulua was pronounced dead on February 22, 2017.

Parents of the two late students, confirmed the death with Vivian’s father, saying he was informed about his daughter’s condition only when it had gotten critical. Vivian died four days after she was released to her parents.

For Bithia Itulua's mum, she said: “My daughter was at the point of death when I eventually got to the school. She was saying incoherent words. We took her to hospital where diagnosis revealed that she had infections that affected her pelvis. My daughter died on February 22 and was buried the next day”.

However, despite the Lagos State government’s recommendation that the school postpone classes till the premises are cleared of bacterial infections, it is been reported that some of the students in JSS3 and SSS3 have been asked to return to school in preparation for their exams.