…two others hospitalised
A strange disease has allegedly claimed the life of a student of an Ondo State government-owned secondary school, St. Peters Unity Secondary School, Akure.
The disease, which is yet to be known, broke out on Saturday, last week, when three students of the school suddenly lost consciousness before they were rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, Akure.
On arrival at the hospital, one of the two students, who were the first to be rushed to the hospital, gave up the ghost. The third student was later rushed to the same hospital.
The remaining two students were still under close monitoring and observation.
However, there are indications that the school might have been hit by meningitis bacteria going by the symptoms and suggestions of some of the nurses at the hospital.
Narrating how the students were rushed to the hospital, one of the nurses, who craved anonymity, stated, “two students, a male and a female, were brought here on Saturday.
“The same day, the male student died as the doctors and nurses on duty were battling to save his life.
“Not quite long, another student of the school was rushed to the hospital, showing the same symptoms with the others. This was when the situation caused panic as it dawned on everyone that there must have been an outbreak of disease at the school.
“So, the State Hospital decided to take precautions and isolate them in the Children Ward while restricting every visitation.”
A parent of one of the affected students said that since he got a call from the school on Saturday as regards his son’s illness, no one had been able to tell him the particular illness his son and his mates were suffering from.
He said: “I received a call from the school on Saturday that my child, who newly got admitted into the school, is not feeling okay and was rushed to the State Hospital, hence I should show up.
“I got to the hospital and I saw my son who, on a normal day would happily run towards me, lying on the sick bed.
“Since Saturday till today (yesterday), he has not been able to talk. He is just unconscious and nobody is explaining anything to us.
“Since then, the nurses set him and one other student aside in the hospital as they restricted our movement to him.
“When he was resuming into the school, I bought everything the school requested for.”
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, said that officials from the ministry had been to the school.
He said: “The ministry just got to know about it and we have taken measures to prevent and ensure it doesn’t spread to others.
“We have taken blood samples for the diagnosis of the students to ensure the type of disease it might be. We really have to be sure about the type of disease.
“We have also isolated two of the students affected at the wards and they have also been placed under control and they would soon recover from it.
“I can say there is no cause for alarm or panicking as we have risen to the challenge.
“As I speak, we have visited the school to ensure we fumigate everywhere in the dormitory and have treated the other students.
“The students, who might have got close contact with these victims, have been placed on drugs and also treated to avoid the spread of the disease.”