By Martin Paul Abuja
Lagos state government has directed that all Queens College students should undergo fresh medical tests before the reopening of the school Report monitored in Abuja, stated that the directive came on the heels of death of the third student, Praise Sodipo, after the diarrhea outbreak that hit the school.
Speaking after a closed- door meeting with representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education with Queens College Principal and other stakeholders, Lagos State Commissioner for health, Dr. Jide Idris, explained that the test became necessary due to the multi-microbial nature of the disease that hit the school.
“Because of the poly-microbial nature of this occurrence, continuous screening, follow up and monitoring will continue for all students and staff of the school’’, he said. On the continued closure of the school, Idris said government was not satisfi ed with the series of tests carried out on the water facilities in the school yet.
“I can’t tell you when the school will be opened, but I can tell you that for now, it will remain closed because the tests carried out on the water system in the school showed that there are still many organism, junks and with this, we can’t allow the school to reopen. “When the students will resume largely depends on the positive result from the water system.
So far, we have carried out laboratory test on fi ve of their water sources. We are satisfi ed with three and until the remaining two are fully corrected, the school will remain closed,” the commissioner added. While commiserating with families of the deceased, Idris further disclosed that the government would collect water samples from the community for test to prevent future outbreak in the vicinity.
Explaining circumstances that aided the outbreak of the disease, Th e Director of Basic and Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Jonathan Mbaka, lamented that when the previous principal was contacted, she denied the case. He added that a report was submitted to his offi ce, but was not copied to other departments within the ministry for appropriate action.
