According to him, the Noguchi Memorial Institute, which has been testing samples from the students at the school over the last few days, has come up with some preliminary findings, but added that further tests needed to be run to ascertain the exact cause of the deaths.

[contextly_sidebar id=”uWUziOhAsSFagYIKDVHHXQKiSPXQk10g”]”With the samples that were taken to Noguchi, they would have to work on them further. I’m sure that by the close of the day the Director General of the Ghana Health Service will come out with a statement on the findings and the way forward. So far we’ve been able to contain the situation, and I believe that we are almost through. The face of the disease has changed because of the earlier interventions,” Dr. Tenkorang said on the Citi Breakfast Show.

The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, said in Parliament on Wednesday, that his Ministry was still waiting for the results of tests being conducted by the Institute.

In the meantime, health officials in the Ashanti Region, have begun administering antibiotics to students and staff in a bid to curb the situation.

Four students died in the last week because of the unidentified ailment, prompting panicked parents to rush to the school to withdraw their wards.

Mr. Agyemang Manu had expressed fears that if the condition was eventually revealed to be communicable, it would place other members of the students’ families and neighbours at risk.

“Unfortunately on Tuesday night , information came up that parents have taken their wards from the school and this has become another health challenge because the medical advice said that we should contain them in the school, and manage them more efficiently. The problem we now have is that, if the disease is confirmed to be a very contagious one, it will mean that those who have come out of the school into their family homes are going to help spread the disease. That is the challenge we are confronted with,” he said.

And according to Dr. Tenkorang, no more deaths have been recorded at the school since Tuesday, and the students who are on admission are responding well to treatment.

He however called on parents who had taken their children home to bring them back to the school, so that they can be administered with antibiotics as well.

“38 of the children were on admission as of yesterday [Wednesday], and it’s likely that most of them will be discharged today [Thursday]. I was with them, and they were all doing very well on treatment. We’ve not recorded any deaths apart from the four,” he said. 

“We’ve given the students the antibiotics in the school, but unfortunately, most of the parents took their children home. We’ve urged them to bring the children back and yesterday [Wednesday], they brought some of the children for the treatment.”

–

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post KUMACA deaths: Test results to be released today – GHS appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Three students are reported to have died within one week, bringing to seven, the number of student deaths this year alone.

The situation is reported to have alarmed parents whose wards are in the school.

The concerned parents have told Citi News that they want the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service to collaborate in prioritizing public health issues at the Asokore Mampong-based school.

The most recent incident occurred last Saturday when a first-year General Arts student of the School, Fodjour Furgerson Livingstone, died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), after he was initially admitted at the Tafo Government hospital when he complained of fever.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive of Asokore Mampong, Alhaji Alidu Seidu, has told Citi News that the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research will present a report on the cause of deaths on Wednesday.

He said, “after the three deaths were recorded, we took samples of the test to Noguchi Memorial Institute… Noguchi has told us the result will be ready by Wednesday, so we are waiting for the results.”

25 students admitted at KNUST hospital

He added that some 25 students had been at the KNUST hospital, but were responding positively to treatment.

“…we have also put some measures in place to curtail the situation. Currently, about 25 students are on admission at the KNUST hospital, but are responding to treatment,” he said.

Kumasi Academy deaths: Family of deceased threatens suit

The family of a 17-year old student who died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital has accused school authorities of negligence.

The bereaved family says the authorities failed to take proper care of students who fell sick, but rather concentrated on activities to mark the 60th-anniversary celebration of the school.

According to the family, the deceased contracted the disease when he voluntarily took a colleague with a suspected case of meningitis to the hospital. He is believed to have died from meningitis.

The Brother of the deceased, Fodjour Martins, who spoke to Citi News, said he was “still very much devastated.”

“…Because of the anniversary, they will neglect all other activities to concentrate on their anniversary celebration. That has in the long run, caused the death of my brother. The school neglected them because my brother took a colleague to the hospital and the colleague died there, but the school didn’t bother to make a follow up as to the cause of the student’s death.”

“Now we are considering the funeral arrangement and after that, we shall see how best we can deal legally with the school. They will meet my wrath. I will do my best. That one, definitely, I can assure you,” he stated.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post A/Region: Minister holds emergency meeting over KUMACA deaths appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of the Centre has been done to mark the start of the project, a statement signed by Ms Miyuki Tan, Health Section, JICA said.

It said Professor Kwadwo Koram, Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of University of Ghana together with Mr Parker Allotey, Ghana’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr Agyemang Manu, Minister of Health and Prof Kwesi Yankah, Minister of State at the Ministry of Education in charge of Tertiary Education cut the sod.

The statement said the Project aimed to provide an efficient and safe research and teaching environment for staff and students of the Institute by constructing the centre.

The centre upon completion, will contribute to the positioning of Noguchi Memorial Institute’s role in responding to the ever expanding research and training needs of the country as well as the West African sub-region and to respond effectively to disease outbreaks, including highly pathogenic agents such as Ebola Virus.

JICA shall extend a grant up to approximately 21 million dollars for a new Bio Safety Level three laboratory, Virology, Bacteriology and Immunology laboratories and training spaces.

Mr Hirofumi Hoshi, new Chief Representative for JICA Ghana has congratulated the Institute on its remarkable contribution to the research and public health service in Ghana, as well as the West African sub-region.

He also expressed commitment to help elevate the Institute into a leading regional disease surveillance network and capacity building for laboratory and research in West Africa.

At the TICAD six, (the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) held in Kenya in August 2016, Africa, Japan and other global health leaders also reiterated the importance to include the aspect of preparedness for public health emergencies into Universal Health Care efforts (UHC).

Mr Hoshi said the reason why I am emphasising the UHC, is that Ghana had great potential in achieving UHC with the good focus on the preparedness, with the contribution from the Noguchi Institute.

Prof Koram, thanked Japan and JICA for the continued support for the Institute and pledged that the research entity would continue to uphold international standards and excellence in all its operations.

–

Source: GNA

The post Noguchi Institute to get advanced research centre appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.