Water crisis: LASG recommends resumption of academic activities at Queen College

Following the satisfactory result from analysis of water samples from all water delivery points at the Queens College, Yaba, the Lagos state government has recommended the resumption of students for academic activities.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this on Tuesday while giving an update on the outbreak of gastroenteritis in the school noted that the school authority, in collaboration with the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Old Girls Association and the Federal Ministry of Education, has successfully addressed and identified areas of lapses by instituting various control measures.

According to him, the control measures include: decommissioning of the multiple contaminated water sources, deployment of a single water source with water treatment, renovation of the dining hall, decontamination of the hostels and overhauling of the sewage system and clearance of the septic tanks.

He added that the periodic testing and retesting of water sources will still go on in line with international best practices.

Idris noted that while he was updating the media few weeks back, he mentioned that water samples from one of the multiple water delivery points in the College posed safety and portability concern. He however disclosed that this has been addressed as new pipes have been laid.

“I am delighted to inform you that based on the results of the analysis of the latest water samples collected on April 11, 2017, all water delivery points have been certified to conform to official specifications and I hereby recommend to the school authority resumption of students of Queens College, Yaba, Lagos,” he said.

While restating the commitment of the state government to guarantee good health of the citizenry irrespective of gender, religious or ethnic affiliations, Idris emphasized the need for the school authority and appropriate federal agencies to supervise continuous screening, follow up and monitoring of all students and staff of the school because of the polymicrobial nature of the outbreak.

The commissioner who also revealed that four out of the 25 infected kitchen staff that were treated and retested but still harbor some bacteria have been recommended to undergo further treatment. They are also to be prevented from handling food and redeployed from the kitchen area.

He disclosed that since the outbreak of the disease in the school, 40 cases were admitted in various public and private hospitals in the state. He added that 37 cases were discharged after full recovery while the remaining three were unfortunately lost to the disease.