Two students in Bawku and Garu die of meningitis

Two students, Master Sulley Atiewin of the Tempane Senior High School in the Garu-Tempane District and Master Benjamin Azumah Aayeliba of the Bawku Senior High Technical School, both in the Upper East Region have

died of meningitis within a month.

Master Aayelba died earlier in the month at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital where he was diagnosed of Cerebro Spinal

Meningitis (CSM) while Master Atiewin, who was admitted to the same Hospital on December 10, died a week later after he was also diagnosed of the same disease. 

Dr Clement Oppong confirmed the death of the students in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Bawku and called on residents of the area to be wary of the warm weather and drink a lot of water during the day, sleep in well ventilated places and avoid crowded places.

Mr Patrick Azumah Azanya, the Assistant Headmaster in charge of Academics at the Tempane Senior High School,  said poor accommodation is a big issue in the school as the over 2,000 students have only three dormitory structures to share, a two storey building for the boys and two compound houses for the girls.

He said due to the inadequate dormitories for students, the school authority converted some classrooms and other structures to accommodate some of the students.

He said ten dual student beds which could take about 34 students were supposed to be in a room but due to the situation, seventeen were located to a room which accommodates 51 students.

Mr Azanya appealed for calm saying efforts were being made to address the issue and prevent future occurrences.

He said at a meeting with the directors of health services in the region, there would be an entire screening of the students and immunization to ensure that all were protected.

Mr Azanya called on the students to live healthy lives when they go home so that they would not contract any contagious disease.

Source: GNA