CDTY Expresses Solidarity with People in Ibba and Maridi Counties following the adverse effects of Deworming Drug on School Children

The acting Vicar General, Rev. Fr. Tombe Charles on behalf of the diocese administration on Sunday, October 3, paid solidarity visits to both Ibba and Maridi where he visited and prayed for the children who are admitted to hospitals in the two counties. He spent a night in Maridi where 128 pupils and students are admitted.

Fr. Tombe and his team who arrived in Maridi at night from the Diocesan Curia in Yambio, went directly to the hospital where they found pupils and students lying in different wards, some still crying from stomach pains and severe headaches. Other children had respiratory difficulties, severe hiccups, vomiting, and dizziness.

On Monday morning again, Fr. Tombe Charles together with Fr. Agbia Dominic Sasa, the Parish Priest at Our Lady of Fatima together with a deacon and other team members returned back to the hospital to give hope to the parents and the school children who were undergoing treatments.

The two priests while in hospital listened to the voices of different people and consoled them to remain hopeful in God and entrust their children to the healing power of the Almighty God. While in the hospital, the priests prayed and blessed the affected children as well as their parents and caregivers.

From Maridi, Fr. Tombe proceeded to Ibba girls’ boarding school where he listened to teachers and some pupils and students who fortunately survived the severe effect of the deworming drugs. He encouraged them to keep hopeful and remain faithful to God. He promised them prayers and blessings as he wished them well in their endeavors.

Teachers who were friendlier shared their experiences on what happened with Fr. Tombo. Apparently, teachers too had also taken the deworming drugs. Fortunately, many of them did not have the adverse reactions as the children. For instance, one of the teachers who opted to remain anonymous said that he developed slight headache and stomach pain after ingesting the four tablets given to him.

Fr. Charles Tombe, conveyed the heartfelt solidarity of Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio to all pupils, students, and the entire administration of Ibba girls’ boarding school for the unfortunate incident. Before leaving Ibba, the Acting Vicar General visited Hon. Elisama Charles Babua, the Commissioner of Ibba County in his office to assure him of endless prayers and moral support from the diocese, especially at this moment of the severe effect of deworming tablets.

Fr. Tombe Charles also paid a solidarity visit to Bishop Moses Kamani of Ibba Episcopal Church of South Sudan. Bishop Kamani survived an assassination attempt on October 3, 2021, when a gunman fired three bullets at his car. The bullets direct targeted the bishop who was driving on his way to Ibba boarding school to render help to the affected children of deworming drugs.

Bishop Kamani who narrowly escaped the bullets said that what happened to him should not be politicized as he considers it part of evangelization to the attacker whom he said should repent and be faithful to God. Both Bishop Kamani and one of the Ibba boarding school board members who were with him in the car when the attack happened are all well.

By Elias Ginana Mangbondo