Speaking further, he said things have changed now, adding that “in some universities, it is almost impossible to make a distinction between a medical student and a social science student as their lifestyle and the struggle for survival is real.’’
“On getting to medical school, you would have heard tales of how the mighty have fallen and so many people sometimes get scared. Beyond all, you must understand that “fear limits a person.”He added that despite very busy schedules as medical students, they can find time for engaging in extracurricular activities outside the regular or besides school activities other than smoking or drinking unhealthy substances.
A student, Michael Obi said theft of personal property was a common problem in the hostel. He said it was a reason why students must be wise to look after their personal belongings. It was also gathered that the new site, which is the Permanent Site of the UNTH at Ituku-Ozalla, is now fully functional and located along Enugu – Port Harcourt Express Way.
At the Imoke Hostel, named after Dr. Samuel Imoke, a medical doctor who became a cabinet minister and leader of Parliament in the former Eastern Region and father of former Cross River State governor Senator Liyel Imoke, struggle for bed space is extreme. ‘’Beyond the power situation, the cleaners working at the hostels are on strike. With each day passing, the strike lingers, piles of trash keep building at every end of the hostels. The hostel is on the verge of facing a garbage crisis.’’
Furthermore, their research shows that lack of access to WASH is a major contributor to poverty and poor health with almost one in ten children under age five being stunted. Despite several funding interventions by the state government and international development organisations such as The World Bank, millions of people in Enugu are still denied their human rights to safe drinking water.
The Nigerian representative, African Student Parliament , James Uneze, who decried the effect of the menace, stressed the need to develop an effective prevention strategy that combines school-based interventions with those affecting the family, social institutions, and the larger community.