Ghana Health Service intensifies surveillance of 22 SECTECH students as one dies of meningitis

The Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service has stated that the facility has intensified surveillance on the spread of meningitis after the disease claimed the life of a second year student of Koforidua SECTECH.

As part of measures to check the spread of the disease, the Health Director said about 22 other students who had close contact with the deceased before he died are under strict monitoring by health officials.

The deceased, Dennis Acheampong, 15, died on Friday December 8, 2017 after he was rushed to the hospital on December 7, 2017.

School authorities said the late Dennis complained of fever, chills, and severe headache.

However, Regional Health Director, Dr. Charity Sarpong in an interview with Ghanaweb.com confirmed bacterial meningitis as the cause of death.

She said the Health Service had received prior information about a suspected meningitis case from the Regional Hospital.

Dr Sarpong disclosed that the diagnosis was obtained after all necessary laboratory tests were run, including a lumbar puncture where fluid was collected from the deceased before his death.

“We got information about a case from SECTECH that had been sent to the Regional Hospital and I think they were suspecting meningitis. The doctor in charge who received the case took all the necessary investigations including a lumbar puncture whiles the 15-year-old boy was also treated…He passed on on the early hours of December 8, 2017 but then the results that came up showed that yes, it was positive for meningitis,” Dr. Sarpong said.

The death of Dennis follows a similar incident at Kumasi Academy in the Ashanti Region where at least, 11 students lost their lives through meningitis and swine flu few weeks ago.

Dr. Charity Sarpong, has, therefore urged schools in the country to resuscitate their infirmaries to provide first aid to sick students so as to prevent the occurrence of such unfortunate incidents.

She further revealed that, “We are liaising with the Ghana Education Service at the regional level to see how best….together as a team strengthen and build the infirmaries around…equip each school with the basic symptoms of especially diseases of public health importance so that at least we will be able to catch them early enough to ensure high survival rates.”