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| From L-R-Mr Nike Adamolekun, CEO Supreme Education Foundation, Mrs Sewanu Amosu, Director of private education, Min of Education, Lagos state, Prof Folasade Ogunsola,Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Infection
Control Committee Chair at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Mrs K.O Alli, Director, Min of education, Lagos state, Dr. Eluchie Emeka, clinical coordinator at CRI, Mr Ibikun Daramola, Deputy Director Min of education, Lagos state |
Ahead of the September 22 school resumption date,
Professor of Medical Microbiology College of Medicine, University of Lagos,
Prof. Folasade Tolulope Ogunsola, has assured stakeholders that if the
recommended precautionary measures are strictly followed, chances of pupils
contracting the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in schools were extremely low.
Ogunsola spoke at a sensitization seminar organized
by the Association of Private School Educators of Nigeria (APEN), to educate
teachers on safety measures to observe in schools in order to tackle the spread
of the virus.
At the seminar, it was obvious that most
teachers were not psychologically prepared to receive pupils back in schools.
But shortly after Ogunsola’s presentation, some teachers confirmed to The
Guardian that their fears had evaporated.
Ogunsola, who painstakingly educated the
participants, said maintaining environmental and personal hygiene, as well as
training and sensitizing teachers, students, non-academic staff and parents on
preventive measures remains one sure way of avoiding the risks associated with
the virus, especially since the case was not an endemic one.
The member of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA)
explained that all the cases of EVD have been successfully handled, except
a few secondary contacts, which were still under surveillance and may soon be
discharged. She said, “Government has said it, there is no
need to be panicking, we don’t have people working around with Ebola virus. So,
why are we afraid? This is not Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea; we don’t have
anything close to what they have. Luckily for us, we don’t have a disease that
is endemic or popping up in all sorts of places.
We have more or less been over the worst and are
at the recovery stage. What schools need to do now is to observe high level of
hygienic environment, provide the needed information for all staff, engage in
systemic hand wash, make use of strong sanitizers or soaps, and regularly
monitor the health condition of every child.”
Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Education
Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adamolekun said, “We are doing this to assure
government that we don’t just want to reopen schools because we want to take
fees, but we are resuming for the benefit of the children, to protect them and
all our staff, and also to ensure that all parties have adequate information on
how to protect children at home and in schools.”
She urged teachers not to be scared of the virus,
since a sick child would hardly come to school. “If schools have the
thermometer to regularly check the health situation of every child, it would go
a long way to helping the situation. What schools need to do is regular check
up of children and parents should complement that routine too,” she added.
A Biology teacher at ST&T Regency College,
Mr. Adeyemi Akinroyeje, who affirmed that indeed most teachers were not
psychologically prepared to welcome children back to school, called on
government to put in place, more awareness programmes and assure teachers of
their safety.
“Most of
them think they are not safe, handling children from different backgrounds, so
they need clarifications like this to assure them that there is no risk.”
Durowaye Femi, a teacher of Business Studies from
Atlantic Hall said the seminar had purged him of fears, which he said was so
palpable that “I was imagining how resumption would be, but Ogunsola has
cleared the air for us, and we are fully set once government approves September
22.
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| Cross section of delegates |
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| Prof Folasade Ogunsola |
Culled from Thisday newspaper
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