The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA,
has rejected the Monday September
22nd resumption directive given by FG to
all Primary and Secondary schools due to
the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.
The NMA speaking through its National
Publicity Secretary, Dr Olawunmi Layaki,
said they expect all schools to remain
closed until December or early next year
when all Ebola suspects under
surveillance have been cleared and
certified free of the virus.
"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. 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." it said
In the same vein, the chairman of the
Lagos state chapter of the association, Dr
Tope Ojo said most public schools lack
basic hygienic facilities and this would
expose the students to easy spread of
the virus.
"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 sanitizers 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." he said. Source: www.locogist..nl/2014/09/ebola-doctors-reject-september-22.html?m=1