About 200 students of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Batagarawa, in Katsina State, have reportedly been hospitalised following a suspected food poisoning incident on Monday.
The affected boarding students were rushed to the General Amadi Rimi Orthopedic and Specialist Hospital (GARSH), formerly known as Barrister Ibrahim Shehu Shema Orthopedic Hospital, as the facility reportedly struggled to accommodate the large number of patients.
Videos circulating on social media Obtained by The News Chronicle on Tuesday showed several students lying on the hospital floor, crying and appearing to be in distress, while medical personnel scrambled to attend to them.
According to eyewitness accounts, the students suddenly fell ill after allegedly consuming contaminated food at their school.
A video recorded at the hospital showed the students being transported in a large bus and carried into the facility for emergency treatment.
The person who recorded the video appealed to medical doctors in Katsina State to urgently visit the hospital and assist in treating the affected students.
He also expressed concern over reports that some of the students had collapsed and were in critical condition, warning that the hospital’s capacity might not be sufficient to handle the emergency.
The exact number of students affected, their current medical conditions and whether any fatalities had occurred remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
Parents and guardians of students at the school have been urged to contact the school authorities and hospital management for information about the condition of their children.
Members of the public have also been encouraged to share the information to help alert affected families and mobilise urgent assistance.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government and the hospital management had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, its suspected cause or the number of casualties as of the time of filing this report.
The cause of the suspected food poisoning has not been independently confirmed.
