100 students of College of Health Sciences and Technology in Ijero Ekiti, Ekiti state, have been hospitalized after reportedly inhaling chemicals used for a fumigation exercise in the institution.
The Ekiti ministry of health which confirmed this, said 100 students were hospitalized on Wednesday May 26 but some of them were later discharged after receiving treatment.
The ministry added that two of the students were transferred to Afe Babalola Multi-System Hospital in Ado Ekiti and the Federal Medical Centre in Ido “for further treatment and observation”.
The statement read;
Today, we received information that a number of students from the Ekiti State College of Health Technology Ijero were hospitalised at State Specialist Hospital Ijero, as a result of an ill-timed fumigation exercise.
About 100 students were affected, but when the Honourable Commissioner for Health @okeanaye & other representatives of the State Government got to the facility, only 36 students were still admitted as others had been treated and discharged.
Two of the 36 students still admitted had to be transferred to @Abuad_Uni Multi-System Hospital and Federal Medical Centre Ido for further treatment and observation.
More resources have been deployed to the State Specialist Hospital to support treatment. These supplies include oxygen cylinders and IV fluids. Also, more doctors have been deployed from Aromoko in addition to the existing team to facilitate faster and better treatment.
We regret this situation and we are closely monitoring the hospitalised students to ensure they fully recover. We are also in close communication with the school and other concerned bodies to ensure that we investigate the incident to prevent another occurrence.
We understand that the students of the college are upset about the incident and we duly empathise with them. However, we appeal to them to remain calm and not destroy health equipment and facilities as this could have a negative counter effect on the situation.
