154 Katsina Students Hospitalised After Suspected Drug Reaction, All Discharged

…25 Others Kept For Further Treatment Also Recover

…Police Urge Public To Avoid Spreading Unverified Reports

No fewer than 154 students of Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State, were hospitalised following a suspected adverse reaction to praziquantel tablets reportedly administered to treat bilharzia.

The incident occurred on Monday after the students reportedly developed symptoms linked to the medication, prompting their evacuation to a hospital for medical attention.

The Katsina State Police Command disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.

According to the police, the tablets were administered by the school authorities as part of efforts to treat bilharzia, also known as schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease associated with contact with freshwater contaminated by the parasites.

The command said the affected students received medical attention and were discharged, adding that no deaths were recorded.

It further disclosed that 25 students who had initially been retained in the hospital for additional medical care had also been treated and discharged.

The police said all the affected students were in good health and had been reunited with their families and schoolmates.

The incident has raised concerns about the administration of medication to students in school settings, particularly the need for appropriate medical supervision and prompt responses to suspected adverse drug reactions.

However, the police statement did not provide details of the symptoms experienced by the students, the specific circumstances surrounding the administration of the tablets or whether a formal medical investigation had been initiated to establish the cause of the incident.

The Police Commissioner, Ali Umar Fage, thanked members of the public for their cooperation and calmness during the incident.

He urged residents to refrain from circulating unverified information and rumours, assuring them that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property across the state.

Praziquantel is a medication used to treat schistosomiasis and certain other parasitic worm infections. However, the available police account did not establish whether the students’ symptoms resulted directly from the drug, its administration or another factor..

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