Key Takeaways
- About 64 students of Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State, reportedly hospitalised after developing complications following medication for schistosomiasis (bilharzia) administered on Oct 26, 2026.
- Students showed symptoms including vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, some unconscious on arrival — taken to General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital Batagarawa, Katsina General Hospital and Turai Yar’Adua Hospital.
- Allegations that some teachers beat students accused of pretending to be sick instead of seeking medical help — Katsina State Government says over 80% discharged, 8 remain under care, committee investigating drug, dosage, screening and alleged assault.
About 64 students of Government Science Secondary School, Batagarawa, Katsina State, have reportedly been hospitalised after developing complications following medication administered to treat a parasitic worm infection known as schistosomiasis, with allegations that some teachers beat students they accused of pretending to be sick.
According to a report by Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred on October 26, 2026, after students reportedly developed symptoms including vomiting, dizziness and abdominal pain. Some were allegedly unconscious upon arrival at medical facilities.
The affected students were taken to General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital in Batagarawa, Katsina General Hospital and Turai Yar’Adua Hospital for urgent medical attention.
Beyond the reported health complications, some teachers were allegedly accused of physically assaulting students showing signs of illness, claiming they were being mischievous instead of seeking immediate medical assistance.
The incident has raised concerns about student safety, medical supervision and the treatment of children during school-based health interventions.
The medical director of the Batagarawa hospital, Dr Auwal Sani, was quoted as commenting on the situation, while state authorities said the exercise was conducted by the Primary Health Care Authorities in collaboration with Batagarawa Local Government Area as part of a Bilharzia prevention and treatment exercise.
According to reports, the students were administered Praziquantel, a medicine used to treat Bilharzia — also known as schistosomiasis or snail fever — a chronic parasitic disease caused by microscopic blood flukes (Schistosoma) commonly contracted through contact with contaminated water.
Zagazola Makama has called on the Katsina State Government, particularly the Ministries of Education and Health, to launch an immediate and independent investigation.
Authorities were urged to establish the medication administered, its dosage, whether proper screening and medical supervision were provided, and whether approved procedures were followed.
The report also called for a separate investigation into the alleged beating, including identifying the teachers involved and determining whether students sustained additional injuries.
It urged the government to take appropriate disciplinary or legal action if the allegations are substantiated and ensure that such an incident does not happen again.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government has said more than 80 per cent of the students who fell ill after taking Bilharzia medication have been discharged and are back in class, while eight remain under medical care and a committee works to find out what went wrong.
As of the time of filing this report, no official findings had been released to establish whether the symptoms resulted from the medication, dosage-related issues or other factors.
