At least 64 students of Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, in Katsina State, were hospitalised after developing adverse reactions following the administration of drugs during a treatment and prevention exercise for bilharzia.
The students were taken to Ahmadi Rimi General Hospital and Turai Yar’Adua Maternal and Child Hospital in Katsina after reportedly experiencing vomiting, abdominal discomfort and dizziness.
Some were said to have arrived at the hospital unconscious, heightening concern among parents and members of the school community.
According to Channels Television, the Medical Director of Ahmadi Rimi General Hospital, Dr Auwal Sani, confirmed that some of the students were brought to the facility unconscious but said they were responding positively to treatment.
Sani explained that the medication had been administered after the students’ heights were measured to determine the appropriate dosage.
Two affected students, Abubakar Muhammad and Hassan Muhammad, said the number of tablets given to students varied, with some receiving three tablets, others two, and some just one, depending on their height.
A parent, Ma’aruf Sani, who visited his children at the hospital, said they had fully recovered from the reactions.
The Katsina State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Sulaiman Jibia, also confirmed the incident during a telephone conversation with Channels Television, saying all the affected students had recovered and arrangements were being made for their return to school.
“The affected students have fully recovered, and we are making arrangements for their return to school,” Jibia said.
The commissioner disclosed that the exercise was carried out by the Primary Health Care Authorities in collaboration with Batagarawa Local Government Area.
He said the state government would investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident to establish what went wrong, while reassuring parents and residents that there was no cause for alarm.
Jibia added that food was being provided for the students before their return to school.
Bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, is a parasitic disease associated with exposure to contaminated freshwater. Preventive treatment campaigns are conducted in affected communities to reduce infection and its complications.
