Parents of a pupil who died at Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State have accused its management of negligence. The Trumpet gathered that little Rita Emmanuel, Junior Secondary One (JS1), died after she was transferred from the school Sick Bay to another hospital where she was diagnosed of umbilical hernia.
Sources in the school told our Correspondent that she died after being taken to the school’s Sick Bay without drugs and specialist to handle her case. The deceased was said to have been released to the parents and was referred to a hospital where medics could not save her from her condition as the school management described it as “complicated”. It was learnt that the parents were sad and furious blaming the matter on negligence by the school management.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the parents observed that medical facility in the college is completely dysfunctional to take care of serious cases with a population of 5, 000 students in the school.
“The children, as young as 10 years-old, are going through lot of pains from poor medication because of no quality drugs with only two nurses, poor feeding with cooks and teachers always in the habits of carting foods away leaving the children malnourished and water crises all the time in the school,” Mayen Ekanem, a parent noted.
“This is a clear case of avoidable death. The school is lacking in everything including discipline and security because young children have traumatic experiences almost every day with the seniors brutalizing them, stealing their things and raping some innocent girl children,” Enobong Bassey, another parent lamented.
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“My late brother in-law’s son, by name Emediong Akpan, was admitted into SS1, and that same term, a senior student hit him on the chest and he started vomiting blood. When my husband tried to arrest the student, the school management promised to handle it. Since that day, Emediong’s life has never been the same until he graduated,” another parent recalled.
“My son was wounded by his bunk in the dormitory, all they could do at the clinic was to administer rub, not minding the rust on the bunk,” Mfoniso Essien, said.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding the little Rita’s death, the Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school, Dr. Itoro Ikoh, appealed for calm, after meetings with the school management on the matter.
Her words: “Miss Rita was a JS1 student. Am told she felt pains in her stomach at night. The following morning, while her house mistress was on routine check she ordered that Rita be taken to the Sick Bay. She was attended to, but on cross examination her case was observed to be a complicated one which required referral.
“Umbilical hynia was diagnosed and the attention of Rita’s parents were required. When we spoke to the mother, she told us that she usually gave her vinegar to calm down, but was later taken to the hospital where she died.”
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