Over 80% Students Discharged, Govt Investigating Cause Of Bilharzia Drug Reactions — Health Commissioner

The Katsina State Government says the health condition of students affected by adverse reactions during a Bilharzia treatment and prevention exercise at Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, has significantly improved, with more than 80 percent already discharged and returned to school.

The State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Musa Adamu Funtua, gave the assurance in an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, stating that the situation had remained under control from the onset due to swift intervention by health authorities and what he described as God’s mercy.

According to the commissioner, only eight students were still receiving medical attention as of Wednesday morning during his visit to Ahmadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina, adding that only one of them remained on intravenous treatment after doctors diagnosed him with malaria, rather than complications linked to the Bilharzia medication.

“As Hausa people say, every child belongs to all of us. No one would deliberately do anything to harm a child,” Funtua said, stressing that the treatment exercise was a routine preventive health programme aimed at protecting children from Bilharzia.

He explained that preliminary findings suggest there may have been a gap between breakfast and the administration of the medication, and noted that the government has already formed a committee to determine the exact cause of the incident.

The commissioner said the exercise had been successfully conducted on the first day without any incident, while the reactions occurred during the second phase of the programme.

He added that once the incident was reported, all affected students were immediately evacuated to hospitals for emergency medical care, a response he said helped stabilize the situation quickly.

During his hospital visit, Funtua said he met with the school’s Vice Principal, medical personnel and parents, and also observed several students carrying on with normal activities, including returning from morning prayers and having breakfast.

He reassured parents and residents that the government remained committed to the welfare of every child and pledged to implement recommendations from the ongoing investigation to prevent a recurrence.

The incident involved no fewer than 64 students who developed symptoms including vomiting, abdominal discomfort and dizziness after receiving medication during a Bilharzia treatment campaign conducted by Primary Health Care authorities in collaboration with Batagarawa Local Government.

The students were taken to Ahmadi Rimi Specialist Hospital and Turai Yar’Adua Maternal and Child Hospital for treatment, where medical officials confirmed they responded positively to care.

The Medical Director of Ahmadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Dr. Auwal Sani, had earlier disclosed that some students arrived unconscious but recovered following prompt medical intervention.

He explained that the drugs were administered according to each student’s height to ensure the correct dosage.

Also confirming the development, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Sulaiman Jibia, said all affected students had recovered, and arrangements had been made for their return to school.

While investigations into the exact cause of the reactions continue, the Katsina State Government has assured residents that routine Bilharzia prevention programmes remain an important public health strategy and that lessons from the incident will be used to strengthen future interventions.