Bawumia to visit KUMACA, urges calm over swine flu fears

Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia is expected to visit the Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti Region later on Friday following the health crisis in the school that has claimed four lives in the last week.

In a statement on his Facebook page, the Vice President expressed the government’s “heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families, teachers, students and friends of Kumasi Academy Senior High School who have been affected by the H1N1 virus.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”4qtHMC41XPGOprIGu2DuWJjQeX673rkv”]“My prayers are with the school and the bereaved families in these difficult moments. I will be visiting the school and the bereaved families today by the grace of God,’ the Veep added.

Aside from the four recent deaths, 32 students have also been hospitalised.

Some of the throat samples from students sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute from the Kumasi Academy tested positive for the pandemic strain of influenza type A, H1N1 2009 also known as Swine Flu.

Respiratory samples sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research also indicated that there was an outbreak of an acute respiratory infection with severe presentations.

No definite cause of the student deaths has as yet been declared.

As health professionals continue to unravel the exact nature of the disease that has devastated the school, Dr. Bawumia urged the public not to panic over fears of a swine flu outbreak.

“I know that parents and other schools are getting nervous about the possibility of further outbreak of swine flu in their respective schools. I will like to assure the public of Government’s resolve to continue to review and strengthen measures to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu around the country and keep our schools safe.”

Find below the full statement from the Vice President

On behalf of the President, the Government and people of Ghana, I wish to express our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families, teachers, students and friends of Kumasi Academy Senior High School who have been affected by the H1N1 virus.

My heart goes out to the families of the 4 promising students who have lost their life through the outbreak of the swine flu. May the souls of the departed students rest in perfect peace. I wish those admitted in hospitals speedy recovery.

I know that parents and other schools are getting nervous about the possibility of further outbreak of swine flu in their respective schools. I will like to assure the public of Government’s resolve to continue to review and strengthen measures to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu around the country and keep our schools safe.

I am very grateful for the health care professionals and education staff who have worked tirelessly to contain the virus and prevent further outbreak.

My prayers are with the school and the bereaved families in these difficult moments. I will be visiting the school and the bereaved families today by the grace of God.

May God bless us all.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana