The   Nigerian Medical Association on Monday faulted the Federal Government’s directive to schools to resume on September 22 as against October 12.
It said through its National Secretary-General, Dr. Olawunmi Alayaki, that all schools ought to remain   shut   till all those under surveillance for the Ebola Virus Disease in the country had been certified free.
“We are not happy with this decision on the resumption of schools. Schools should be shut till the last suspected case or patient is certified free of the virus,” the NMA said.
Before the association made this known the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, had disclosed that an 18 month-old baby had been quarantined in the state for   showing symptoms of the deadly virus.
The NMA suggested that the resumption of schools could be shifted till December or early part of next year because if Ebola should spread to any school, it would “assume another dimension.”
It said, “ We can shift the resumption date till next year or in the next three months if that is the time it will take. Government should have enough time to follow the standard procedure for containing   the virus.
“Parents have no reason to be   in a hurry because if Ebola should enter any school, it will assume another dimension. Children cannot survive isolation like adults.
“Nigeria is peculiar because of her large population and we should be pragmatic and proactive. It   will not augur well for the country if we have another outbreak due to carelessness.”
Also, the Lagos State chapter of NMA said that the Federal Government should have postponed the resumption date till the completion of surveillance and monitoring of contacts in the affected states.
It said through its chairman, Dr. Tope Ojo, that   many of the public and private schools in the country lacked basic   hygiene and sanitary facilities that could help prevent the spread of the EVD by pupils.
It stated, “It would not have cost the Federal Government anything to have waited till those under surveillance have completed the 21 days in all the states where they are being monitored.
“The government knows that it takes a longer time for children to get used to the idea of hygiene and sanitation. They are even more vulnerable because they would play with each other whether they are sick or not.
“How many children know that they should use hand sanitisers or avoid contact with anybody that has fever?
“Waiting till October when at least the situations in Rivers and Lagos states would have been conclusively managed is another safety measure the government should have taken . These kids are not studying to get a degree, so we are sure it would not have affected schools’ curricula.”
Also the immediate president of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, expressed concern about the September 22 resumption date, wondered about the safety parameters government used in fixing the date.
Enabulele said that   the grouse of many parents with the   resumption date stemmed from the fact that they were not convinced that schools had met the safety standards for the prevention of Ebola.
He added that if the government was bent on schools adhering to the date, it should begin now to check the sanitary facilities put in place by their proprietors to ensure the safety of pupils.
Enabulele said, “We must know the parameters that the Federal Government used to arrive at the resumption date in the first place. Has the Federal Government carried out a safety assessment in registered schools in the country? There should be a checklist and only those who meet it should be certified fit to reopen.
“The minimum standard is that all schools should have a dispensary, a sick bay where sick children, especially those with fever, are properly managed and tested.”
Saying that he knew that such facilities were not available in many schools, he asked: So, why the rush for their resumption?”
Also, a consultant paediatrician with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi- Araba, Prof. Edamisan Temiye, called on the three tiers of government to ensure that schools  had access to water on their premises.
The former Lagos NMA chairman, also warned parents not to force sick children to go to school as this could expose them to infections.
Temiye said, “Governments must ensure that clean water   flows on schools’ premises so that children can wash their hands regularly. Water is important for sanitation and it is the duty of government to ensure that citizens have access to it.
“Also, parents should take sick children to hospital. Don’t give them drugs and force them to go to school. Ebola can only be caught from a sick person. School authorities should watch out for   and isolate sick children   from others.
“Again school owners should give hand sanitisers to their pupils before allowing them into their premises. They should also have thermal thermometers to check the temperatures of their pupils before allowing them into their school premises.”
The Minister of Health had before the doctors spoke with one of our correspondents in Lagos, said that there was nothing to fear over the directive to schools to resume on September 22.
Chukwu, who gave an update of EVD in Nigeria, said, “We have contained the situation. Ebola is no longer in the streets anywhere in Nigeria.
“We are working with the Federal Ministry of Education and we made it clear that in institutions having students returning from outside Nigeria, they should let us know.
“We will work with them and we have questionnaires which we are already using on airlines and ships coming into Nigeria as well as other means of transport. They will fill questionnaires. We will ask questions and conduct tests to see that they don’t have fever.”
The minister also revealed that a fiancé of one of Patrick Sawyer’s contacts who was confirmed positive for EVD had since recovered.
He added, “So far, all the cases that have been confirmed in Nigeria are traceable to the index case (Sawyer). As of this (Monday) morning, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria is 19.   Fifteen were   in Lagos and four   in Port Harcourt.
“The 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Mr. Sawyer who died of the disease. The test results were equivocal but further tests established the disease. He had only mild symptoms and he has since recovered from the illness. He was quarantined but because of the equivocal test result he was not placed on active treatment.
“The total number of deaths from EVD in Nigeria stands at seven . Five   of them died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case,   and the other four   in the isolation ward in Lagos State.
“Two of the seven died in Port Harcourt, the medical doctor who died in a private hospital and the contact, a patient in the hospital at the time the doctor was also on admission, who died in the isolation ward in Rivers State.”
According to him, the total number of patients who have been successfully managed and discharged stands at nine.
He added that the latest was the sister (Chinyere) of the late Port Harcourt doctor who was discharged from the isolation ward in Rivers State on Sunday.
“It should be noted that the nine   patients successfully managed and discharged are among the total number of 11 survivors of EVD in Nigeria. At the moment, only one person, the wife of the late Port Harcourt doctor, is on treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.
“She no longer has any symptoms and is undergoing a series of tests preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.
“Regarding contacts currently under surveillance, Lagos has 27 contacts surveillance as of now. A total of 339 contacts who were previously on surveillance have been discharged having completed the 21 days of observation. Port Harcourt has 477 contacts under surveillance. It is a mixed group consisting of tertiary and quaternary contacts of   Sawyer. Five contacts have already been discharged from surveillance in Port Harcourt having completed the 21 days of observation.”
In Port Harcourt, the Health commissioner, Parker, also confirmed that Chinyere had been discharged. But as journalists expressed joy over Chinyere’s recovery, he announced that an 18 month-old baby, who showed symptoms of Ebola had been quarantined for observation.
The commissioner however did not provide further information as he returned to Chinyere’s recovery and discharge.
“I am cheerful today because we have successfully treated an Ebola patient. She (Chinyere) has been effectively treated, cleared and discharged from our isolation treatment centre. She deserves to be celebrated as a success story,” he said.
Parker, who explained that   the state government had reached about 479 contacts, said, “I can assure you that the disease has been covered. People should not cause panic. The number of deaths from Ebola is lower than deaths from road accidents.”
Sources: www.punchng.com/news/ebola-doctors-reject-sept-22-schools-resumption-date/

Mathefaro, this is the best explaination anyone can give to u on the reason why pupils and sec sch students should nt resume back 2 sch until the virus have left Nigeria. Try to read that part that said children wont survive isolation like adult will, also read that part whr an 18 month old showed signs of d virus. Having read this, if u still believe ur children or sibling should go to sch for any reason at the expense of the life, i rest my case. Remember, they arn't going for a degree.

Academic calendar for 2014/2015 primary and secondary schools will be seriously affected.

It is becoming obvious by the day that not all parents will honour sep 22 as school resumption date.

Interestingly, school authorities whether private or public are just concerned about early resumption so that school fees will be collected and the threat of ebola is real.

i truely dont see why schools shld opened

is better to open in january than to lose one child to ebola. No one is sure whose child will b victim.

With proper preventive measures put in place,I think it'll be wise if schools resume on sept 22.

true talk...dey shouldnt resume on 22nd...it will just tighten our chance of eradicating d Evd....children dont care whether dey are sick or not..dey will still play with their friends

Schools should resume, pls....wat if it takes a whole yr 4 ebola to die down, re they still not goin to resume? This children have bin @ home 4 almost 2 months already, the best thing to do is provide talk shows/seminars 4 d teachers to educate them on d symptoms nd preventive measures

Medunah: Schools should resume, pls....what if as at nxt yr, wat if it takes a whole yr 4 ebola to die down, re they still not goin to resume? This children have bin @ home 4 almost 2 months already, the best thing to do is provide talk shows/seminars 4 d teachers to educate them on d symptoms nd preventive measures

u ave said it all...vhiz kids are disturbing me ehn...I ave to lock them in a room.....

OUR FUMIGATION SCOPE OF SERVICES INCLUDES;

1. Misting and fogging of the entire School surroundings (inside and outside), Class room blocks, Rest rooms, Staff rooms, Hostels , Offices to destroy different larval and pupas stages of pests using swing fog machine

2. Spraying of the above-mentioned area to get rid of pests, pathogens and other specifics anthropoids using manual and motorizes sprayers
Deratisation and baiting of all specific (Linnaeus species etc )


Remove those sickening Pests and Bugs from the school premises , hostels and offices through our Fumigation and Pest Control Services.

Our solutions assist in the effective prevention of pest in household and commercial premises like Residence, Hotels, Resorts, Ware houses, and Commercial Complexes. We experts are proficient in identifying all kinds of infestations and provide solutions accordingly. The service comprises of:


Cockroach Management Service
• Use of efficient medicines and sprays control cockroaches and other insects in a very short span of time.
Rodent Management Service
• Sanitation and correction of sanitation deficiencies are given utmost focus which is basic in rodent control. Advice is given for elimination of food sources with good sanitation practices that prevent the increase in rodent population.

General Pest Management Service
• With proper waste management as well as drainage of still water we help in prevention of breeding ground of many pests at the clients premises.

For more details and bookings pls call
+2348072292381
+2348129190315
info@chogonfacilities.com
www,chogonfacilities.com

Afrocatalyst: With proper preventive measures put in place,I think it'll be wise if schools resume on sept 22.

And wat kind of preventive measure would you suggest... Wat if d preventive measure backfires. Won't be wise experimenting over something so serious and deadly. The doctors know wat they have seen.. They have analyzed d situation thoroughly.. We are here talking based on sentiments and personal opinions.. They talk based on facts and wat they have analysed...
I think the government shud be careful on this.. To prevent a "we told you so" situation.. Dont u think?

See him mouth lyk nxt year. Nxt year ko previous year ni

LilNetty: u ave said it all...vhiz kids are disturbing me ehn...I ave to lock them in a room.....

U ve got kids already? Wow, u really look young...luv dat

Medunah:
U ve got kids already? Wow, u really look young...luv dat

Lwkmd!please oooo...ion ave a kid ooo..am referring to my younger ones

<html>
Interesting one
</html>

I doubt if the folks asking for resumption of schools on this thread are parents in the first place.

Kids could be a bunch of trouble but should exposure to a deadly disease like Ebola be compared to their pranks?

I am a father of two lovely kids, they will not be stepping into any school until October....

The fear of ebola is the beginning of ---- a) wisdom b) stupidity c) undecisiveness. Send all answers to 33325 at N50.

Life is very precious and has no duplicate; Government should not dance to the tune of Private Schools Proprietors who are only after the money they will make from early resumption. Government should tarry a little until our coast is cleared of all life-threaten Ebola Virus. What affects one of us affects every one of us.

LilNetty: Lwkmd!please oooo...ion ave a kid ooo..am referring to my younger ones

ooh, d way u said it made me tink dey were urs, lol