Seventh student dies in 4 months at KUMACA

The death of another student at the Kumasi Academy on Wednesday has heightened tension among parents and fear among the students.

The death of Seedock Boadi, brings the number of deaths at the school to seven in less than four months.

When Graphic Online’s Donald Ato Dapatem telephoned the Assistant Headmaster of the school, Mr Ernest Wiafe on Thursday and asked about the latest incident he said “please I can’t speak about anything. I am now with the Regional Director.”

A source at the school however hinted the student, Seedock Boadu reported sick on Tuesday and was treated and discharged at the school’s sick bay.

His condition deteriorated later and was rushed to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) hospital and died some hours later.

“Surprisingly, the dad of Seedock came around after he had been discharged from the sickbay and provided him with some provisions. He was okay but at night things took a different turn and when he was rushed to the hospital he could not make it”, the source said.

In March this year, four students from the school died mysteriously, a situation that sparked tension and when post mortem were conducted on them it came out that they all passed on through severe cases of meningitis.

Announcing the cause of death in early April after the postmortem, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, said: “through the collaborative efforts of experts from Ghana Health Service from district, regional and national levels with experienced colleagues from KATH and an autopsy was conducted on the bodies of the students, we can confidently say that the cause is Meningitis”.

A month after the death of the four students another student also died and post mortem indicated he died of typhoid. However the cause of the death of the sixth student was unknown.

Sources at the school tell Graphic Online that a pathologist will be conducting post mortem on the seventh student and expressed the hope that the report will be ready by Friday.

Sources at the school said the headmistress, Mrs Eunice Nkansah has been asked to proceed on leave and hand over to her deputy.

The source said that authorities in the region have been joined by some high-powered educational officials from Accra to deliberate on the issue.

Source: graphic.com