Parents rush for wards in school to prevent them from taking anti-wormers

Koforidua, Feb. 12, GNA- False rumours apparently began on a radio that twenty students died after taking an anti-wormer drug being administered nationwide in public schools sent some parents in the New Juaben Municipality on mad-rush for their wards in schools in the Municipality on Monday.

The parents rushed to public primary and Junior Secondary Schools(JSS) to prevent their wards from taking the drugs only to realize to their chagrin that not only were their children safe but they were indeed taking their lessons.

A number of schools and students the Ghana News Agency contacted at Koforidua were surprised at the development. Mrs Darling Amankwah, Headmistress of Freeman Methodist JSS said she administered the drugs herself to all the students and observed no side effects.

She was categorical that no deaths were recorded and studies in the school were proceeding as normal.

A teacher at the Wesley Methodist JSS also expressed dismay at the rumour saying no such unfortunate incident has occurred in her school.

Mrs Rebecca Dzigbede Owusu, Primary school teacher at the Good Shepherd Anglican School was also bemused at the rumours insisting that no strange developments were recorded in her school at the time of closure for the day.

Maxwell Nutifafa Pongo and Amanda Agyeiwaa, pupils of the Trinity Presby Model School who admitted to have taking some of the drugs said no observable strangeness was recorded in any pupil as at the time they were departing school.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Directorate has issued a statement asking schools for the afternoon session to cease distributing the drugs until further notice.

When the GNA visited the Koforidua Regional Hospital, at 17.00, only one female pupil of Adweso SDA JSS , Benice Oparebea was on admission at the casualty ward for complaining of headache, stomachache and heart beat after taking the de-wormer at school. However the diagnosis of the doctor indicate that Oparebea was suffering from malaria rather than from adverse drug reaction. 12 Feb. 2007