Bawku SHS Student Dies of Meningitis; Nine Others on Admission

One student at the Bawku Senior High Technical School in the Upper East Region has been confirmed dead at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital following what is believed to be an outbreak of meningitis at the school.

Nine other students, one from the Tempane Senior High School (SHS) in the Garu-Tempane District of the region, are also on admission at the hospital.

The Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Clement Oppong who confirmed the death and admissions said the student from the Tempane SHS has been confirmed as having contracted the disease while tests were still being conducted on the eight students from the Bawku Technical school.

Strange

He indicated that it was quite strange the period in which the students were contracting the disease since the region usually records an outbreak of meningitis between February and April when there is a lot of heat.

“In actual fact nobody from the communities has been confirmed as having the meningitis but it is only happening in the senior high schools,” Dr. Oppong further observed.

He said however that there was no need for panic because the situation is under control.

The director indicated that it was necessary for health authorities to embark on a vigorous education campaign among students and teachers in the senior high schools.

GES

The Bawku Municipal Director of Education, Mr Joseph Azuntaba for his part noted that as part of measures to reduce the students’ risk of contracting the disease, they have been advised to sleep in open spaces as one of the preventive measures while the authorities have also been entreated to ensure that there was enough ventilation in the dormitories.

The latest outbreak comes barely 24 hours after one person was reported dead from a suspected case of meningitis at Damongo Senior High School in the West Gonja district in the Northern region.

Source: Graphic