Punch reports that the epidemic that broke out at the Queen’s College, Lagos has claimed the life of its third victim. The victim, identified as Praise Sodipo, died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. Praise was an orphan, a Senior Secondary School one pupil, who has been on life support at the Intensive Care Unit before she died late Thursday night.
The President of the school’s Old Girls’ Association, Dr. Frances Ajose, and the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, confirmed the development. You recall many pupils at Queen’s College had been admitted in the school’s sickbay after eating spaghetti and drinking water suspected to have been polluted, in the school.
Two pupils –Vivian Osuiniyi and Bithia Itulua –who were in Junior Secondary School two and three respectively, reportedly died as a result of the epidemic. The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, had led a team to the school and ordered an investigation into the incident, just as the then Principal of the school, Dr. Lami Amodu, denied the epidemic, blaming the report on haters of the school. Amodu was later transferred from the school.
Idris, after few weeks, released a statement saying health records from the school’s sickbay indicated that the date of illness was January 16, 2017, and a total of 1,222 pupils presented themselves at the school’s clinic on account of abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The statement noted that 16 cases of illness were admitted in various hospitals. While nine had been discharged, two had been confirmed dead, one was still on admission at the Intensive Care Unit of LASUTH, and three were at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba.
The PUNCH had also reported that more pupils of the school had taken ill and were being admitted in different hospitals in the state. On Friday, one of those that had been in a critical condition gave up. A parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said,
“She was one of the first set of students that fell ill. She was an orphan. She went into a coma and was on life support, before she eventually passed on. That has made the death toll to be three now.”
Ajose said she was aware of the development but refused to comment further. Idris said:
“Yes, another pupil died. She was the one in critical condition. I received a call around 1am on Friday about the death. I don’t have much detail yet.”
A parent, whose child was discharged from the hospital on Thursday, asked the Federal Government to probe the deaths and called for the prosecution of the former principal of the school.
“This should not be swept under the carpet. There have been three deaths because of the carelessness of one person. We have lost these promising ones and their families are now in sorrow. This case must be probed and all those involved brought to book,” he said.